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PERSONAL 
REMINISCENCES 



OF THE 



LATE WAR, 

BY 

H. W. BOLTON. 

Introduced by F. A. HARDIN, D. D. 

EDITED BY 

H. G. JACKSON, D. D. 



PUBLISHED By 

H. W. BOLTON, 409 W. Monroe, 

CHICAGO, ILL. 



1 fVIAR 2 1896) 






The Sons of Veterans of the 

Late War, 

This Volume is Respectfully Dedicated, 



By the Author. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S92, 

BY HORACE W. BOLTON, 
in the Office of Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



PREFACE. 

It is proper to say that most of the Chapters in 
this volume have already appeared as a series of 
contributions to a well known periodical; and it is 
only because of the favorable reception accorded 
them in that form, that the author ventures to pre 
sent them again to the reading public, sHghtly 
altered and with some valuable additions from 
other pens. 

And now if this little book shall serve to 
arouse, for one moment, a feeling of patriotism in 
the hearts of those who may read it ; or revive 
in the breast of some comrade a pleasing memory 
of army life— the camp, the march, the shout and 
dm of conflict, happily forever past — it will have 
accomplished all that the author has dared to hope. 

H. W. BOLTON. 



CONTENTS. 



Chapter 


I. 


( ( 


II. 


t e 


III. 


cc 


IV. 


it 


V. 


I i 


VI. 


el 


VII. 


C i 


VIII. 


I i 


IX. 


C ( 


X. 


it 


XI. 


it 


XII. 


it 


XIII. 


it 


XIV. 


it 


XV. 


it 


XVI. 


It 


XVII. 


it 


XVIII 


it 


XIX. 


I i 


XX. 


1 1 


XXI. 


it 


XXII. 


tt 


XXIII 



Preface. 

Introduction. 

The Cost of War. 

The Civil War. 

Enlisting and Going to the Front. 

From Augusta, Me. , to Washing- 
ton, D. C. 

Antietam. 

Falling out of the Ranks. 

The First D. C. Cavalry. 

Winter of 1863-64 with Co. D. 

Gen. Kautz's Raid. 

Wilson's Raids. 

After the Raids. 

An Artillery Duel. 

Sycamore Church and Cox's 
Mills. 

Chaplin Beaudry's Narrative. 

Hospital. 

Mustered Out. 

Col. Cribben's Narrative. 

Col. Cribben's Narrative, (contin- 
ued.) 

Organizations after the War. 

Organizations, (continued.) 

Some of the Generals when with 
the Boys. 

Pen Pictures. 

Memorial Day Address by Col. 
Jas. A. Sexton. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Through the kindness of the author I am allowed to write 
the opening words to his book of " Beminueiices." Not to 
herald its contents, or present the writer, who is already well 
and favorably known to the reading public, but simply to add 
a testimony to the value of the war history of our nation, 
whatever throws light on the subject must be of interest to 
the on coming people, what the present time demand is that 
which will make one familiar with the every day life of the 
citizen soldier. 

Every regiment in the army has, in addition to its war re- 
cord, "its characters." Those peculiarly odd "geniuses" that 
season camp life with wit and wisdom. The "pepper" and "salt" 
of a soldier's existence, without them things would have be 
come monotonous. 

Nothing develops so readily the points of character in a man 
as camp life. Thrown upon his own resources for every 
thing the soldier takes the shortest route to comfort or fun. 
Whatever contributes to the former he will have regardless 
of expense, and that which hightens the latter will be sought 
out and appropriated; all who are familiar with the "Camp- 
fire" will find in it that which kept alive in the boys the spirit 
of patriotic devotion and helped them over hard places in the 
army. 

Through these characters each regiment became marked 
ofE in broad outline from others, and a stranger could not 
long be within the lines without coming to know the man 



VI. INTRODUCTION. 

who was the life and music of the company, by these a regi- 
ment is often better known than by its battles. A striking ex- 
ample is found in the 35th Ind. Vols., known as the Irish 
regiment, which Genl. llosencrantz called the "gallant little 
35th." The mention of this regiment at once recalls two in- 
separable characters. Paddy Smith and Billy Bryan, one a 
soldier of fortune, and the. other, to use his own words, an 
unfortunate "soger." I first met them in the campaign 
through Kentucky and'from personal knowledge I affirm that 
could these sayings along the line of march be collected and 
given to the public with the time, place and circumstances 
that called them into existence they would be read at a single 
sitting, although the whole night should wear away with the 
feast. Sometimes under the most solemn and oppressive in- 
telligence, one or the other would touch a spring of humor 
and the melancholy feeling would roll away like the mist be- 
fore the rising sun. Though rough in exterior they possessed 
a vein of true humanity and religion in strange contrast with 
their conduct. 

They had been some months in the service without receiving 
any pay. The paymaster, that esteemed individual, had not 
made his appearance, and everything was to be done as soon 
as "I (jit me pay." Poor Paddy was taken sick. The sur- 
geon's art failed, and Paddy, as a last resort, called in the 
Priest, the good and brave Father Cooney\ it was apparent to 
the Father and to Paddy "that he must soon sling his knap- 
sack and march." The good Father prepared the dying man 
for his journey into the future, while Billy, his faithful com- 
panion, sat beside him sobbing like a broken-hearted girl, for 
he had come to stay with his comrade until the sands of life 
ran out. "Well, Paddy," said his friend, "Are you goin' to 
lave us?" "Indadel suppose I am," said Paddy, "an glad 
I am to lave this dirty world." 

" You may well say that, Paddy," retorted Billy, "for you 
have had your own fun out iv it." 

"Oh, Billy," exclaimed Father Cooney, "how can you 
have such livity, when will you be ready to lave it?" "Be 
Jabers, as soon as I gits me pay." This was too much and the 



INTRODUCTION. VII. 

tent shook with merriment, even the dying man smiled at the 
reply of his trusted friend. 

Father Cooney was a great favorite: among the boys. Dr. 
Stevenson tells of a conversation that runs like this; the good 
Priest came upon a company of boys trying to amuse them- 
selves, and greeted them with a pleasant word.whereuponthe 
boys began, "Do ye say Urn, God bless him, the likes of him 
can't be found between here and the OianVs Causeway'' 
Another joined, "Thrue ye, Tim, be gorra his match couldn't 
be found iv ye thraveled all the way from Dan to Barsheba.'' 
Still another, "An he'll be countin' his bades among the stars 
when many of his callin' are huntin' a dhrap of wather in a 
hot climate" 

Very many hard things are said of quartermasters, who, 
under our military system, are commissaries. There are' 
however, exceptions to all cases, and I happen lo know one 
who furnished material for a whole volume, he still delights 
m the pseudonym of '' Big Rations," a term applied to him 
by the boys. He, too, was a character, full of kindness; he 
abounded with wit and humor. I refer to Lieut. Igoe, of the 
Irish regiment before mentioned. He considered that his office 
as Q. M. was to provide for the comfort of the boys, hence 
he had a horror of "army regulations;" he abominated all 
orders, general or special, that inflicted on him the " red tape 
routine," and not unfrequently he would smash all rules that 
stood in his way as a good provider; the result was he came in 
collision with his superiors. So they demanded of him from 
Washington a statement of his affairs. He gathered up al] 
his receipts and loose papers and vouchers, putting them care- 
fully in a keg, headed them up and sent them to Washington, 
stating to the department that as they had more time than he 
they could assort and arrange the papers to suit themselves, 
remarking that if they could make anything out of them they 
could do better than he had done. Of course the matter was 
not satisfactory to the department at Washington, and notice 
was served on him to make his report in form or he would be 
"sent for" to come to Washington. The following was his 
reply 



VIII. INTRODUCTION. 

" Headquarters of the Irish Regiment, 

Quartermaster's Department. 

Dear Sir:— Your kind and friendly note of inst. is 

before me, I regret exceedingly that you cannot make any- 
thing out of the keg full of papers forwarded some two 
months ago. In order to facilitate the solution of the difficulty 
I take great pleasure in sending another box full. I have long 
contemplated a visit to the capitol of this great, and mighty 
nation but my finances being in such a dilapidated condition 
I have been forced to forgo the pleasure; I will be pleased to 
make a visit to your, I am told, delightful city under the aus- 
pices of and at the expense of our much afflicted government. 
Accept my kindest regards. M. Igoe, Lieut, and A. Q M." 

But before a reply came he was captured by John Morgan, 
with books, papers and wagons. He made a final settlement, 
stating in a humorous way the incidents of his capture. To 
this day it his boast that the great raider settled his affairs 
with the "big conastogies at Washington." 

Wishing you all a happy campaign through these personal 
recollections, and adding my testimony to the soldierly qual 
ities and manly virtues of the author, 'I am, most respectfully, 

Frank A. Hardin, 
Late Lieut. Col. 57th Ind. Vols. 



Reminiscences of the Late War. 



CHAPTER I. 



THE COST OF WAR. 



War is an expensive pastime! Considered as an 
occasional business enterprise it is doubtful if in 
most instances it does not cost a great deal more 
than it comes to. Only when there is involved a 
question of honor, or a principle of right, or the 
liberty of a people, can there be any justification of 
the expenditure of blood and treasure that is the 
inevitable attendant upon the strife of nations. In 
ancient times wars were more frequent than now, 
and were, in most cases, waged in obedience to the 
caprice or ambition of some monarch, whose chief, 
if not sole, claim to the throne was based on his skill 
as a strategist, or on his prowess in battle. The 
people, trained from youth in military exercises 
and accustomed to deeds of bravery and peril in the 
"imminent deadly breach,'' knew .and cared for no 
other glory than that which was to be acquired by 
feats of arms. The common soldier thought little 
of the cause for which his leader was contending, 



10 REMINISCENCES. 

whether it was one of justice or of mere personal 
ambition; for in either case the fighting was the 
same, and the opportunities for personal distinction 
about equal; the glory of winning victories, and the 
resulting chance for plunder and rapine were the 
spur of his ambition. He did not trouble himself 
about the morals of his bloody occupation. The 
cost of ancient wars was, of course, considerable, 
though limited to the maintenance of the army, in- 
cluding the meager pay allowed the soldiers. Arms 
and equipments cost but little, and were the per- 
sonal property of the soldier. A battle added almost 
nothing to the money cost of the campaign. In a 
hand to hand conflict no ammunition was wasted, 
and unless a weapon was lost or broken in the melee 
it remained as serviceable as ever. The cost in hu- 
man lives, however, was heavier in ancient than in 
modern wars. A Roman battle ax, sword, or spear, 
at the distance of a single pace was a more deadly 
weapon than a Martini-Henry rifle several hundred 
yards away. Fewer prisoners were taken, and the 
severely wounded were despatched at once, or left 
to die on the fickl, hence the loss of life was great, 
especially on the part of the army suflcring defeat. 
The inventions that have come to the aid of modern 
warfare would perhaps add to its destructlveness, 
were it not for the fact that these have been accom- 
panied by a great advance in the sentiments of 
humanity and mercy. Feelings of personal ani- 
mosity do not now animate the soldier; he is not 



CARE FOR THE SICK. 11 

blood thirsty, and does not wantonly kill the 
wounded and captured. The number actually killed 
in battle is small compared with those who die of 
disease and exposure, and those who are made pris- 
oners of war. The w^ounded and sick are cared for 
as well as circumstances will permit, and thus the 
horrors of Avar are to some extent mitigated. But 
after all, as the late General Sherman declared, war 
is a relic of barbarism, and fortunate will it be for 
mankind when the era of universal peace is inaug- 
urated and the nations learn war no more. 

The government of the United States, compared 
with the other principal governments now existing, 
has enjoyed a reasonable immunity from war and 
its costly accompaniments. Not counting the vari- 
ous Indian wars, and those with the Barbary States, 
Tripoli and Algiers, we have waged with successful 
issue four wars, viz: The Revolutionary war, the 
war of 1812 with Great Britain, the Mexican war, 
and the Civil war, ending in 1865. The aggregate 
number of men engaged in these Avars is 3,771,0-11, 
nearly three-fourths of whom were called into service 
during the civil war. The number of liA^es lost is 
not far from 375,000 on the side of the government 
of the United States, with no doul)t an equal num- 
ber on the side of the opposing forces. But this 
does not take into account the number permanently 
disabled by Avounds, or those Avhose lives were 
shortened by exposure and injuries received while in 
the service. The direct cost to the government in 



12 REMINISCENCES. 

money may be put at three and a half billions of 
dollars, to which amount should be added one bill- 
ion one hundred and fifty millions of dollars paid 
in pensions up to the end of 1S90. Double this 
amount undoubtedly will yet be paid to those who 
fought to preserve the government, and no })atriotic 
citizen will find fault with that item of expenditure. 
In addition to the Avars named we should give 
some attention to the Indian wars that have been 
waged from time to time by the government of the 
United States. These have not called into active ser- 
vice any very large body of troops, nor have they 
resulted in great loss of life on cither side; neverthe- 
less in these respects the results have not been so 
insignificant as to be unworthy of notice, while the 
cost in money has been altogether out of proportion 
to the good achieved. From the year 1776 to 1890 
the Indians have cost the government a billion of 
dollars; two-thirds of which amount has been ab- 
sorbed in fighting them, and the remainder in paci- 
fying and supporting them while they were hatch- 
ing some new scheme of attack upon the whites. 
The government has not been ungenerous in its 
dealings with the Indians. Unless we are ready to 
concede that a mere handful of savages should 
possess this continent in perpetuity, to the exclu- 
sion of the millions of civilized people whom it is 
capable of sustaining in plenty and happiness, "^e 
must admit the right of the whites to dispossess the 
Indians of the greater portion of North America, in 



INDIANS. 13 

accordance ■with the immutable law that Ijarbarism 
must recede before the advance of civilization. The 
Indians have not been exterminated. On the con- 
trary it is held by the latest and best authority on 
the subject that the Indian population within the 
bounds of the United States is now substantially 
what it was when Columbus discovered America. 

The popular notion that the melancholy red man, 
musing upon the departed glories of his ancestors, 
"Slowly climbs the western mountains and reads 
his doom in the setting sun;" like the "nobility" 
of this same red man, and the fawn-like grace and 
beauty of the traditional Indian maiden, has its 
birth in the fervid imagination of the orator and the 
poet, without any basis of truth. The Indians are 
not "fading away," nor are they being huddled 
together on uncomfortably limited reservations. 
True they have not quite as much room as they had 
when half a million Indians claimed the entire terri- 
tory now occupied by sixty-five millions of civilized 
people, but they have enough. The Indian reser- 
vations, if divided out in severalty, would give 
nearly a square mile of land to every Indian, squaw 
and papoose; so that if they would be content to 
settle down upon their land and become industrious 
citizens, instead of lawless vagabonds, they might 
in the near future be counted among the richest 
landed proprietors in America. 

So far as loss of life is concerned in the wars be- 
tween the Indians and the government troops, the 



14 REMINISCENCES. 

Indians have had far the best of it; witness the Mo- 
doc war, in the lava beds, in which General Canby 
was treacherously assassinated and 111 soldiers and 
seventeen citizens were killed or wounded. "No 
Indians reported killed." Witness the battle of the 
Little Big Horn, June 25th, 1S76, when General 
Custer and his devoted regiment, like Leonidas and 
the three hundred Spartans at Thermopylfe, without 
the exception of a single man, gave up their lives in 
heroic action. But unlike the Spartans, the Amer- 
icans died unavenged, a useless sacrifice on the altar 
of savage warfare! Still it must be admitted that 
some of these miserable Indian wars have been pro- 
voked by the foolishness or dishonesty of those 
representing the government; and dearly has the 
government paid for the incompetency or rascality 
of its agents. What is known as the great Sioux 
war started in 1852. Some Mormons were driving 
their cattle toward Salt Lake. When near Fort 
Laramie, one of a band of Indians gathered there 
killed a cow belongmg to a Mormon. The emigrant 
made complaint, and the officer in command at the 
fort sent out a subordmate with twenty men to in- 
vestigate. The little force went to the Indian camp 
and demanded the surrender of the one who had 
killed the cow. To this demand the Indians replied 
that they were willing to pay for the animal in 
bufialo robes; but the officer declined to accept 
them, and repeated his demand for the immediate 
surrender of the Indian. The Indians persisted in 



INDIAN AVARS. 15 

their refusal, and the oflSccr gave the order to fire. 
The men obeyed, and in less than twenty minutes 
every soldier was killed and scalped. Thus began 
the Sioux war of 1852. It lasted about four years, 
and ccvst the government between fifteen and twenty 
millions of dollars. That Mormon's cow, and Mrs. 
O'Leary's, the starter of the great Chicago fire, de- 
serve to go down in history yoked together as the 
two highest priced cattle ever brought to any 
market! 

The Navajo war is another illustration of how 
great a fire a little matter kindleth. A negro boy 
insulted an Indian, and in the quarrel that ensued 
the Indian sent an arrow through the neo^ro and 
killed him. He then fled to his tribe. The officer 
at the fort where it happened sent a demand for the 
surrender of the Indian; the tribe refused to give 
him up; without delay the troops were marched out 
and war began. Result: the United States troops 
beaten in three campaigns at a cost to the govern- 
ment of nearly twenty millions of dollars. Surely, 
" a great cry for a little wool! " 

Another of the most important Indian wars had 
its origin in a comparatively insignificant matter. 

A contractor for furnishing Indian supplies sent 
to the Sioux agencies what purported to be prime 
mess pork, but what was found to consist princi- 
pally of the heads of hogs. The Indians evidently 
did not think the advice about not looking a gift 
horse in the mouth applied to gift hogs; and so, 



16 REMINISCENCES. 

when it came to choosing between a constant diet 
of head-ehcese and souse, and a fight, they gave 
their voice for war! As this war occurred during 
the progress of the civil conflict hut little attention 
was given to it by the public, but it required fifteen 
thousand troops under Generals Sibley and Sully, 
and several millions of government money to adjust 
the diflerence between that rascally contractor and 
the nation's wards. 

There is a record of engagements with hostile In- 
dians within the military division of the Missouri from 
1868 to 1882, in which it is stated that " more than 
1,000 officers and soldiers were killed and wounded" 
in the Indian fighting of that period. In answer to 
a resolution of inquiry of the Senate in 1886, the 
Secretary of War stated that the total cost of the 
troops in the Indian country from 1876 to 1886 had 
been $2.'>3,891,261.50. The Sioux war of 1876 
cost for actual field expenses $2,312,531, besides the 
inestimable loss of Geneial Custer and his men. 
If the question is asked, what has been gained by 
all this expenditure of blood and treasure ? it is not 
diflicult to answer. 

The Revolutionary war established the indepen- 
dence of the Colonies, and laid the foundation of the 
Republic. The war of IS 12, practically settled the 
question of the rights of American vessels on the 
high seas; and of naturalized citizens aboard such 
vessels; though, strangely enough, the matter of 
greatest contention during the war, was overlooked 



OUR INDIAN POLICY. 17 

in the treaty that followed. The Mexican war re- 
sulted in the acquisition of much valuable territory, 
by which the United States has been greatly en- 
riched, and Mexico made but little poorer. Lack- 
ing the ability and the enterprise to develop her 
territory its possession or loss could not materially 
affect her resources. 

The Civil war led to the immediate emancipation 
of the slaves; and demonstrated the abiUty of the 
Nation to protect itself from dismemberment, at the 
caprice of one or more of the constitutent members 
of the Union. Whatever opinion may be held 
hereafter as to the right of secession the practic- 
ability of it is not likely to be tried again while the 
record of that terrible failure remains, as a part of 
the history of this republic. 

The Indian wars have been the least satisfactory 
of all. They have settled nothing except it be the 
fact that our Indian policy has been a practical 
failure from tne beginning. We have neither civil- 
ized them nor exterminated them. After more 
than 250 years of alternate fighting and pampering, 
we have succeeded in inducing only one-fourth of 
the present generation of them to put on citizens' 
clothes, and still a smaller number to prefer a 
dwelling house to a wigwam. As, according to the 
report of the Commisioner of Indian Affairs for 
1890, the births among them exceed the deaths by 
about 500; and, as Indians never emigrate, except 
to the "Happy Hunting Grounds," it is evident 



18 REMINISCENCES. 

that W€ shall have the Indian problem on our hands 
for some time to come. If some means could be 
found to civilize and christianize these " Children of 
the forest" and thus put an end to undignified and 
profitless wars on account of individual squabbles, 
or spoiled bacon, this government might begin on a 
permanent era of domestic peace; ditlcrcnces that 
may arise between this and other nations would be 
easily adjusted l)y a court of arbitration, and war 
become a thing of the past; only a crimson stain on 
the page of our nation's history. 



Is death more cruel from a private ilagger 

Than in the field from murdering swords of thousands? 

Or does the number slain make slaughter glorious? 

— Gibber 



(XX.) 



CHAPTER II. 



THE CIVIL "VVAK. 



Life in this world is a continuous warfare; be it 
individual or national. So intense at times is the 
conflict, as to provoke the question of life's value, 
and we are led to doubt whether the gift is worth 
having; to those who have no higher conception of 
life's possibilities than simply to exist, the question 
may be answered in the negative. But to him who 
thinks of life in the flesh as the reproduction of the 
Christ-life, with all its possibilities, life is the great- 
est gift of God. So it is to him who thinks of na- 
tional life as ordained of God, with a view to man's 
highest development and richest culture. 

Our fathers looked upon the establishment of this 
nation as the opening of a "new world," wherein 
all men might worship God as their consciences bade 
them do, and hither they came by hundreds and 
thousands. 

" What sought they, thus, afar? 
Bright jewels of the mine? 
The wealth of seas, the spoils of war? 
They c-ought a faith's pure shrine. 

(21) 



22 REMINISCENCES. 

Aye, call it holy ground, 

The soil where first they trod; 
They left unstained what there they found. 

Freedom to worship God." 

To such patriots as the Adamses, Hancock, 
Henry, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton and Wash- 
ington the sacred interests were committed, and can 
you wonder at the result achieved? Born of such a 
spirit, rocked and nurtured by such hands, the 
national life and character Averc assured; but two 
things, wars and victories, were inevitable. Our 
fathers had a record back of them to preserve, and 
a continent before them to conquer, subdue, civilize 
and Christianize. And when the smoke of the 
Revolutionary fires had ascended, and the wounds 
of the strife were healed, the spirit remained to 
extend the conquest from sea to sea until the entire 
continent should be made "the land of the free and 
the home of the brave." 

Suceeding wars had spread abroad their devasta- 
tions, and buried their innumerable victims, until 
most men felt that all the great problems of this 
country were settled. But there still remained a 
cancer in the bosom of the body politic. The malig- 
nant growth had poisoned the entire South with its 
virus and now threatened extension into the terri- 
tories. During the administration of James Bu- 
chanan, the fifteenth president of the United States, 
the advocates of slavery attempted to establish that 
relic of barbarism in Kansas. Societies were organ- 
ized known as "Blue Lodges," " Friends' Societies," 



ENCROACHMENTS OF SLAVERY. 23 

"Social Bands," and "Sons of the South," for the 
purpose of overriding the will of the citizens of that 
territory, and establishing slavery there. Hon. A. 
H. Reeder, the governor, was removed, and Wilson 
Shannon appointed in his stead, because the former 
opposed and the latter favored the project. This 
transferred the conflict to Washington, and it soon 
became national. 

In 1857 the Dred Scott decision, involving the 
question whether Congress had the power to exclude 
Shivery from the territories, was decided by the 
Supreme Court, adversely to the interests of free- 
dom. The opinion of the court was written by 
Chief Justice Taney, in which he declared that the 
negroes were so far inferior to the whites that they 
had no rights which a white man was bound to re- 
spect. He held further, that the Missouri Com- 
j)romisc and other laws of Congress inhibiting 
slavery in the territories were unconstitutional. 
Subsequent decisions by the same court, of questions 
arising under the Fugitive Shive law, were equally 
favorable to the pretentions of th'e slave power, so 
that the arrogant boast of Senator Toombs that he 
would one day call the roll o-f his slaves at the foot 
of Bunker Hill Monument seemed not unlikely to 
be realized. The frequent capture of fugitives from 
bondage, and their return to unrequited and hope- 
less servitude; the merciless traffic in human beings 
inseparable from such an institution; and, perhaps 
more than all else, the constant encroachments of 



24 REMINISCENCES. 

the slave power upon the Icgisliitive freedom of the 
country, and the absolute suppression of the free 
expression of opinion adverse to slavery, in any of 
the Southern States, precipitated the conflict that in 
any event was inevitable. The conscience of the 
North, East and West, was thoroughly aroused, and 
a fire was kindled such as the waters of the oceans 
could not put out. And thus the nation was plunged 
into war without knowing what it meant or where 
it would end. The North, at least, was altogether 
unprepared for such a conflict. 

Indeed, there were but few who had any knowl- 
edge of mililary life. Our army and navy were so 
i-'./iall as to leave our harI)ors and borders open to 
the coming of any foe. For instance, Charleston 
harbor had only sixty-nine men in all her forts. 
On that memorable morning, when Major Anderson 
had gathered all into Fort Sumter, and numbered 
his forces at prayer and flag-raising, there stood in 
that citadel one hundred and nine men, sixty-nine 
of whom were enlisted as soldiers; when at prayer 
the major himself held the halyards, and as soon as 
the amen was uttered he hoisted the stars and stripes 
amid shouts and cheers from hearts of devoted pa- 
triots. This great and magnificent harbor was thus 
exposed to the enemies of the government; and yet, 
1 thmk it was better armed even then than any 
other harbor in the nation. 

Men had no adequate conception of the danger. 
Think of the first call of Mr. Lincoln for troops, 



FORT SUMTER. '25 

and his conception of the problem in hand — seventy- 
five thousand men for three months! With these 
Mr, Lincohi and his advisers thought to solve the 
problem, and put down a rebellion that before it 
ended, called to arms more than two million six 
hundred thousand men, and occasioned more than 
a thousand battles and skirmishes, in which more 
than two hundred and fifty thousand men were 
slain, or died of disease. 

The most terrible slaughter of men ever known 
took place during tlie late conflict. We read of 
Waterloo as the bh^ody ]>attle of history, and yet 
Wellington's casualties were less than twelve per 
cent., his losses being five thousand four hundred 
and thirty-five killed, and nine thousand five hun- 
dred and eighty wounded; while Grant's loss at 
Shiloh was about thirty per cent. In all the wars 
this nation had with other nations, she lost only 
ten American Generals, while in the civil war one 
hundred general officers fell in battle. 

When will the nations of the earth come to see 
that wars can never be justified only as you would 
justify a desperate case of surgery. 

"If thy right cyo offend thee, pluck it out and cast 
it from thee; and if thy right hand oH'end thee, cut 
it off and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for 
thee that one of thy members should perish, and not 
that thy whole body should be cast into hell. " When 
the nations of the earth come to feel the force of 
this truth, they will cease educating their children 



26 REMINISCENCES. 

for the array, as thoui^h war were a part of the busi- 
ness of the world. Then will leaders and comman- 
ders and statesmen cease to plunge the nations into 
unnecessary and unrighteous wars. 

It is often within the power of these men to in- 
volve millions of people in a war for years under 
some plausible pretext, that appeals to the patri- 
otism of the people, who suftcr others to think for 
them. Shall we have two standards of morals, one 
social and the other political? Shall one man l)e 
justified in slaying a hundred thousand men in order 
that he may maintain his position in office, or gratify 
his personal ambition, while we hang another man 
for the murder of one fellow-creature? Nay! let 
there be one standard, then shall it be impossible 
for prime ministers and other representatives to 
make their private quarrels the occasion for general 
blood-shed and strife. 

Let leaders of men study the consequence of wars 
more carefully. The discipline necessary to suc- 
cessful conflict is unfavorable to the independence 
and intellectual growth of the individual and conse- 
quently to tlie true greatness of a republic. The 
economy of war requires of every soldier implicit 
submission to his superiors in office. This must be 
enforced in every grade of the army; and while it is 
without doubt essential to success in hostile oper- 
ations, it is adverse to intellectual and moral excel- 
lence; for the moment a man surrenders thus, he is 
forbidden to reason. He is to obey without judge- 



A GREAT CONFLICT. 27 

ment or volition of his own. I have seen — yes, on 
one occasion I was forced to draw up ray company 
in line Avith others for the enemy to shoot at, for 
thirty minutes, while the oiEcers in command were 
too drunk to know or do anything intelligently. 
Now there was no help for that, but to shoot the 
men in command, but had any man of the regiment 
yielded to the excusable temptation he would have 
been held for murder. This is one of the evils of 
war. 

There are other evils of which I shall have occa- 
sion to si)eak from time to time. Nevertheless, the 
boys in blue have reason to rejoice and give thanks 
for the privilege of eradicating from this beloved 
land the curse of slavery; and of settling forever the 
question of liberty, equal rights and national unity. 
They went to war, not to learn the art of fighting, 
but to put doAvn the rebellion and preserve national 
unity. And it were better that five hundred thous- 
and, yes, a million men should die; than that this 
nation, the hope of untold millions yet to be, should 
perish from the earth. 




SENTINEL. 



ENLISTING. 



I have loved my country under the flag of the Union for 
more than fifty years, and as long as God permits me to live, 
I will defend that flag with my sword, even if my own state 
assail it. — Lieutenant General Winfield Scott. 



(XXX.) 



CHAPTER III. 

ENLISTING AND GOING TO THE FRONT. 

The war cloud had spread over the national heav- 
ens and burst u[)()U Fort Sumter. Major Anderson, 
brave man, had yielded to the inevitable, and the 
stars and bars were floating in Charleston harbor. 
Mr. Lincoln had called for the first seventy-five 
thousand, and they had tested tlie temper of the 
enemy only to find that it was not a question of 
little moment to I>e settled l)y a few skirmishes be- 
tween two detachments, but a question of life and 
death to the nation, with millions of brave men 
})itted against other millions who had been their 
brothers. Great men had taken sides. The talent, 
skill, nerve, patriotism and devotion of a great na- 
tion were divided. Devout and pure hearts called 
nnto God from both armies, while volumes of in- 
spiration poured into the camps from Christian 
homes, north and south. 

I remember the prayer of a poor colored man in 
North Carolina who, wishing to please his master, 
who was listening, prayed, "O Lord! bless Massa 
Lee, and help him to kill Massa Grant, and stop dis 
awful wah." His friend in another part of the hut 
could not sanction that, and hence responded, "Bless 
(31) 



32 REMINISCENCES. 

dc Lawd da's mo' an fo' million prayers ahead o' 
dat one dats got to be answered fust." 

But in all this God was not confused. He kne.v 
what surgery was necessary to eliminate from this 
republic the curse of human slavery, and Mr,, Lincoln 
had been placed at the head of the nation to carry out 
his purpose. Many thought him slow, but now that 
the smoke has disappeared and the entire field is 
before us, all candid men say, "Mr. Lincoln moved 
as fast as the people would have supported him." 

It was not an easy thing to arouse and lift the 
north out of the pursuits of peace into those of 
carnage and strife. A London reporter writing 
from New York City two weeks before the firing on 
Fort Sumter, said: "This city is full of divine calm 
and human phlegm, and Chicago, the commercial 
queen of the west, would do anything rather than 
fight." But before that letter came back to us, 
things were changed. The war was fully inaugu- 
rated, Generals George B. McClellan and John Pope 
had met the armies of the south, to be defeated, and 
the terrible havoc of Bull Run had fully aroused the 
north. 

A friend from the Emerald Isle gave a concise 
report of that battle in these words. When asked if 
ho was in the battle of Ball Run, he said he was. 
" And did you run?" "Faith, I did, and any man 
that didn't is there yet." It served its purpose. All 
lovers of libertj- felt that they were called to arras. 
Men cast, north and west hastened to the recruiting 



TITE COUNTRY AROUSED. 33 

oflSces to put their names down for enlistment. The 
spirit of the hour cannot bo better expressed than 
by quoting the lyric of Horatio Woodman: 

Why flashed that flag on Monday morn 

Across the startled sky? 
Why leaped the blood to every cheek, 

The tears to every eye? 
The hero in our four months' woe, 

The sj^mbol of our might. 
Together sunk for one brief hour, 

To rise forever bright. 

The mind of Cromwell claimed his own, 

The blood of Naseby streamed 
Through hearts unconscious of the fire. 

Till that torn banner gleamed. 
The seeds of Milton's lofty thoughts. 

All hopeless of the spring. 
Broke forth in joy, as through them glowed 

The life great poets Bing. 

Old Greece was young, and Homer true, 

And Dante's burning page 
Flamed in the red along our flag, 

And kindled holy rage. 
God's gospel cheered the sacred cause 

In stern, prophetic strain, 
Which makes his right our covenant, 

His psalms our deep refrain. 

Oh, sad for him whose light went out 

Before his glory came. 
Who could not live to to feel his kin 

To every noble name! 
And sadder still to miss the joy 

That twenty millions knew 
In human nature's holiday 

From all that makes life low 



34 REMINISCENCES. 

"What ou^ht we todof filled all hearts, and, 
with this question in mind, we left home one morn- 
ing and went to the village to see who were going. 
Wc had read of MeClellan's failures during the 
spring of 1S62, and the coming of Pope from the 
western army to take charge of the Army of Vir- 
ginia, scattered and disheartened, yet true in their 
loyalty to their old commander, George B. Mc- 
Clellan. Wc had no sympathy with the criticism 
of his predecessor pronounced by Gen. P()})e in his 
speech upon assuming command, for in that he an- 
tagonized the whole army, and we rejoiced when he 
was relieved and McClellan was again placed in 
command of the Armies of Virginia and the Po- 
tomac. 

' 'But what shall we do ? Ah, there they go, John 
Robertson, Robert Jenkins and Sam Brown." 

"What ! have you enlisted, Brown?" 

"No, they won't take me; but I want to go. Botii 
the Towle twins have enlisted, and Jim and Bob are 
going. 1 suppose you can't go, for your wife and 
baby won't let you ?" 

"Well, I don't know; I guess it would be i)retty 
hard to leave them. But what's the ncsvs !" 

"Oh, things look pretty blue, I reckon Lee '11 get 
into Washington." 

"Why, look here, Brown, 'twould be an awful 
thing to have Washington captured, and Old Abe 
taken prisoner; I believe FU go. What say?" 

"But how will Mrs. B. take it?" 



LEAVING HOME. 35 

"Well, she said this morning that if she were a 
man she'd go. Now I don't propose to have her 
feel that she is more patriotic than I am. Hello! 
there goes Leavett; they say he's to be captain." 

"Yes, captain of Company E., Sixteenth regi- 
ment, Maine Volunteers." 

"But say, he can't command anybody, why he 
doesn't weigh more than a hundred and thirty 
pounds! " 

"You just wait till he gets into a fight, he'll weigh 
a ton then! " 

" Well, look here, if you and Bob are going I'll 
go," and down went our names for three years, or 
during the war. Then came the hardest thing to 
do of all; simply to tell the wife and baby what I 
had done. What will they say — how will they take 
it? But to my surprise my wife said "You have 
done just what I should do if I were in your 
place." 

The plans of that night will never be made known. 
We were to leave for Augusta the next day. All 
night that home was filled with prayer, and oh, how 
quickly the morning came! Can it he that we are 
to leave these dear ones for war, where men are 
wounded, killed and buried, unattended and unvis- 
ited? "Yes, Will, you must go, and may God 
bless and keep us till you return." The train is now 
ready, and I see the dear ones standing on tLe plat- 
form and waving their handkerchiefs as we move 
out from the village. Ah, how hard men tried to 



36 REMINISCENCES. 

be brave that day! But tears started dov;n many a 
cheek, and hushed Avere the voices of all save those 
who had nerved themselves for the occasion with 
stimulants, for we were off for the war. 



Then from each Mack, accursed mouth 
The cannon thundered in the South, 

And with the sound 

The carols drowned 
Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 

It was as if an earthquake rent 
The hearthstones of a continent. 

And made forlorn 

The households born 
Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 

—Longfellow. 



'\XXVITI.) 



CHAPTER IV. 

FROM AUGUSTA, MAINE, TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 

On reaching Augusta, our company was assigned 
quarters in the regimental barracks, and then came 
the work of clothing, organizing, and equipping 
the regiment. "What a change of life and environ 
ments had come to us! Roll-call at 6:00 A. m., when 
every man was expected to answer to his name or 
be accounted for by some of the company officers. 
This surrender of choice was not an easy thing for 
the strong, manly lumbermen of the Pine Tree State 
to learn. They had been in the habit of getting up 
when they pleased and appearing in such clothes as 
they thought appropriate and timely; now to be 
compelled to toe the mark in army blue, with but- 
tons brushed, hair combed, and boots bhicked, was 
all new to them, hence some very severe discipline 
was necessary before we left the state, and we found 
the little man in his uniform quite weighty enough. 
But the most of Company E. fell into line cheerfully, 
believing it the best policy to adopt. 

Contrary to the old maxim, that "ignorance and 
discipline make the best soldiers," it was found that 
the young men from the schools and the wisest men 
(39) 



40 REMINISCENCES. 

of the state were the most efficient in the service, 
for they saw at a ghmce the necessity of rigidly en- 
forcing the discipline, and intelligently yielded to 
the order of the day. More than this, they sought 
to know what was to be required of them, and, by 
this, anticipated the command, so that in the aver- 
age company there were fifty men competent to take 
command at a moment's warning. This may ac- 
count for the skill and tact displayed later when 
emergencies arose, officers were captured or killed, 
and some men of the rank and file sprang to the 
front, took command and won the battle. 

I rejoice to see the cfibrt now being made to im- 
prove the personnel of our standing army. The de- 
mand is urgent that some standard other than phys- 
ical be established which shall govern the enlistment 
of men, and then something must be done to coun- 
teract the pernicious influence of the barracks. As 
it now is, a vile, blatant blasphemer may contami- 
nate a whole company of innocent boys, who, being 
compelled to room with him, are constantly under 
his influence. 

But look! Here comes the adjutant with orders, 
"Fall in, Company E! Attention! Let every man 
be ready to take the cars this evening at 7:00 o'clock 
for Washington! " Seven-eighths of these men had 
never been outside of the limits of their native state; 
to them it was an opportunity, but to some of us it 
was a trying ordeal. Here come wife, sister, child, 
yes, and mother too, as sure as you Yv^-tl Mother's 



ALL ABOARD. 41 

here; never so far from home before, but she can't 
endure the thought of John's goino; to war until she 
has first counselled and given him some expression 
of her love. See, she has brought her boy some 
socks, handkerchiefs and — "What's this, mother?" 
" Ah, my boy, mother wants you to read that book, 
I have marked some verses for you, John. Don't 
forget that I shall pray for you every evening. 
Good-bye. God bless you." 

"Fall in. Company E! Fall in! Fall in! Call 
the roll! Get into line for inspection!" The col- 
onel is coming. See him, a fine-looking man, 
weighing two hundred and sixty pounds? Cross- 
eyed. You can't tell whom he's looking at. He 
looks like Ben Butler. I believe it is Ben Butler. 
No. ''^Attention! Present, arms! Carry, arms! 
Count ofi"! Right, face! Forward, March! Now 
we're off to war! The train was never so long get- 
ting ready to start before. Will they never get 
done saymg "good-bye?" "All aboard!" And 
she rolls out into the night. We are soon asleep. 
Morning dawns and we enter Boston — ' ' the hub of 
this universe. " In her streets there are many things 
that attract the country boy's attention, but ho is a 
soldier and must keep step. " Left! Left! Left! 
Steady there, Company E!" "What regiment is 
this? " shouted a dozen voices from the sidewalk. 
"Sixteenth Maine Volunteers, Col. Miles' Regi- 
ment." " What men! " " See, they are all six feet 
high; lumbermen from the woods and mills of 



42 REMINISCENCES. 

Maine!" "Prohibitionists, I guess; they arc all 
sober. Finest regiment 1 have seen yet." Thus we 
were greeted in every city until we reached Wash- 
ington, where we were inspected and sent to Fort 
Sumner to drill for heavy artillery. At first this 
was not well received by the boys. They had taken 
a great deal of pride in being noted fov their size 
and good appearance, but when told that that was 
the secret of their being chosen they submitted 
cheerfully and went to work to learn the drill. 

Sunday came. At home, we were in the habit of 
going to church and Sunday-school. How strangely 
all this drum-])cating, buo-le-blowina^ and marchnii; 
to and from dress parade affect one! A pass is se- 
cured, and we walk over the long bridge to see 
Washmgton, but it was not the Washington of to- 
day. Every group wo met was full of excitement 
over the last battles and the defeats of McClellan 
and Pope. Regiments of soldiers fill the squares. 
Squadrons of cavalry dash through the streets. 
Aml)ulances and baggage-wagons were rushing 
through the city half-filled with rubbish. We re- 
turned with confused thought, for we had never 
seen it on this wise before. Truly wo were home- 
sick that night, and would have walked ten miles 
to bear one prayer such as we had been wont 
to hear in the school house at home. But we 
were hundreds of miles from home, in the midst of 
profanity, tobacco smoke and song-smgirig. The 
last thing that greeted our cars as we fell asleep 



WHO GOES THERE? 43 

from sheer cxlumstion was, "Stop your noise, "Cut 
the string," "Dry up," each associated with a terri- 
ble oath. Here Ave stayed doing service in the fort 
until the night of the 8th of September, when we 
were ordered to report to Col. Adrian li. Root, 
commanding the First Brigade, 2n(l division, 1st 
Corps of the Army of the Potomac. We waited all 
night with our arms buckled about us, and wondered 
what the next call would be. Some declared that 
Lee had captured McClellan and was marching into 
Washington, and, sure enough, about midnight the 
long roll was beat and we stood in dread suspense 
for hours, not knowing what was to be our doom, 
while the older regiments laughed and cracked their 
jokes at our inexperience. Then came a detail and 
we were sent to the l^'ort to see if anything new had 
taken place, and, while passing the 143rd New York 
volunteers just out from home about 11:00 o'clock, 
a voice rang out in the darkness, " who goes there? " 
"A friend with the countersign." "Advance, and 
give the countersign." We obeyed, and being re- 
ceived on the point of the bayonet, were told that 
the countersign was not correct. " Corporal of the 
guard," shouted the alarmed patrol. Down came 
the corporal and sergeant, and we were taken prison- 
ers, disarmed, and marched to headquarters. The 
colonel appears, to confess that he had given a local 
countersign, and ordered that our arms be returned 
and we be sent on our way. 
We shall face Antietam next. 




MCCLELLAN. 



ANriETAIVl. 



Victors and vanquished join promiscuous cries, 
Triumphant shouts and dying groans arise. 

— Pope's Homer. 



(xr,vi.) 



CHAPTER V. 

ANTIETAM. 

Ou the morning of September ITtli, 1862, Gen. 
Hooker opened fire on the rij^ht, and from artillery 
and musketry, hurled shot and shell into the ranks 
of the enemy, Fitz John Porter's corps was ordered 
to occupy the center position under protection of a 
ridge of land, as reserves, while the slaughter went on. 

No army ever went into battle with more brilliant 
expectations than did the Confederates under Law- 
ton and Jackson, who were fresh from the victory 
of Harper's Ferry, McClellan, on the other hand, 
appeared cautious, if not fearful, and, as usual was 
late. Robert E, Lee, the most brilliant of southern 
leaders, was on hand with not less than 100,000 
men; his left wing was in command of Jackson, his 
right in command of Longstrcet, while Hill com- 
manded the center. But Hooker made a good fight, 
and carried the bridge on the Hagertown road the 
first day, and was ready for another assault at any 
moment. It is strange hoAV quickly an army, cut in 
pieces and torn by shot and shell, can rally. But 
there are no vacancies in action. The officer next 
in rank steps at once into the place made vacant by 
(47) 



48 REMINISCENCES. 

the fall of his superior. A friend of mine gave me 
a description of Hooker's second charge, when, amid 
bursting shells, grape and canister, those living lines 
marched steadily on until melted away by the fire 
of their opponents. For one hour this fight con 
tinned before the Confederates broke. Then a cheer 
filled the "whole army "with hope at this point. Our 
regiment, having been called out the day before, 
reached the scene and was held in reserve, and wo 
can never tell what chagrin and disappointment 
came to us when the order was given, "Rest on 
your arms, and be ready to move at a moment's 
notice." Col. Wiles, having made a forced march 
from Arlington Heights, was unable to go further, 
and so we were detailed to fix up a bed in a deserted 
brick house that had been riddled with shot and 
shell. lie never appeared with us again, but Lieut- 
Col. C. W. Tilton (brave man he) took command. 
We watched the fight, heard the groans, and saw 
the mangled, until a strange feeling filled our inmost 
soul, and for once we longed to have a hand in the 
light. There was Joe Hooker on his gray horse, 
})lunging into the thickest of the fight, inspiring his 
men with his coolness and cheer. There was Meade, 
dashing through the cornfield, slippery with blood, 
while the tree" over our heads seemed to scream Avith 
tongues of fire. What a reception! Men reeled 
and staggered as if drunk. Brigades ])ecamc regi- 
ments in an hour, and soon Meade\s noble army Avas 
but a fragment, but Joe Hooker came to his rescue, 



ANTIETAM. 49 

leading the charge in person. And now his whole 
command is moving, swinging into line at every 
change. The hills are one flame of fire and seem to 
shake in fear and agony. "What will be the re- 
sult? " we asked. For fom' hours we stood in dread. 
"Look! Hooker is wounded! They arc carry- 
ing him off the field.'' But Sumner sweeps on, and 
the men seem enraged at the thought of their woun- 
ded commander. They waver and fall back for a 
few rods, then halt. Will the enemy follow? The 
artillery forbids, and just at this critical point a fine 
brigade of Maine and Vermont men pass us and 
hasten into the field. " Why not our brigade? " Ave 
asked. Ah! we have never had one hour's drill, 
while Smith's brigade was in excellent condition, 
and in a few minutes they dash in and retake the 
cornfield. Burnside still holds the hill near Stone 
Bridge where Lee has marshalled his best men. 
But another effort (m the part of the enemy is made 
to retake the works and gain the bridge. 

Nothing in the history of war ever surpassed that 
struggle. In an hour five hundred shells fall into 
the closely packed division, while forty thousand 
muskets pour their leadlike rain into the assaulting 
column. Now it is a hand-to-hand struggle with the 
advantage going to the enemy, but, when the smoke 
rises, we find Burnside still holds the hill, and the 
enemy is retreating. The loss of the day has been 
great. Burnside's men are exhausted, nevertheless 
be sends word to McClellan for reinforcements, say- 



50 REMINISCENCES. 

ing, "Send them, and I will sweep all before me." 
Fifteen thousand men held in reserve, sent at that 
moment, might have forced Hill and Longstreet to 
fall back upon their center, and give lis the fords of 
the Potomac. Then the whole confederate army 
would have been between Burnside and Sumner, 
and Antietam would have ended the war. But Mc- 
Clellan hesitates, loses his opportunity, Lee retreats, 
recrosses the Potomac, and is at home again. 

The next day after the battle we walked over the 
field to look upon the dead forms, lying in their 
blood, and wondered at the spirit which had sus- 
tained them in such a conflict. What was it? These 
men were thoughtful men. They were not ignor- 
ant brutes, who, without the sense of fear had rushed 
half intoxicated into the mouth of belching cannon. 
Nay! They w^ere sober, intelligent 3'oung men, the 
majority of them under twenty-five years of age. 
They knew that it meant death, and, trembling, 
looked each other in the face, as if to say, "I would 
rather die than disgrace the famil}^ I represent or 
be counted a traitor." So like brave, intelligent 
men, they deliberately made up their minds to do 
their duty and die in their tracks if need be. After 
this came five weeks of inactivity, when more men 
were sick, discouraged, disheartened and disgusted 
than in any battle of the war. We were unused to 
that climate, had thrown away our blankets, over- 
coats and tents, and had nothmg to do but to dis- 
cuss the merits and weaknesses of our "generals and 



AFTER THE BATTLE. 51 

other field officers, and General George B. Mc- 
Clellan came in for the largest share of criticism. 
The influence of those five weeks no one can meas- 
ure. Spent in perpetrating jokes, reciting stories, 
singing songs, finding fault in general, at length 
growling became the chief business of the camp. 
Chaplains seemed to lose all the confidence and re- 
spect they ever had; but for the mail that brought 
tidings from home, I don't know what would have 
become of us. 

There is nothing so demoralizing to the soldier as 
inactivity. Sickness, discouragement, discontent, 
and about every ill that either flesh or spirit is heir to 
will invade the camp; and nowhere can you find a 
better exemplification of the proverb: — " Satan finds 
some mischief still, for idle hands to do" — than 
among idle soldiers. 

But something must be done to keep the boys 
from (lying of listlessness, or getting too lazy to 
draw their breath. We determined to have a horse 
race. The arrangements were strictl}'' private — that 
is, the officers were not in the secret — though all 
the men were. A couple of half grown contrabands 
were induced to act as jockeys, and we decided that 
Captain Howe's and Lieutenant Parkman's war 
horses needed exercise; however, it was not thought 
necessary to consult those officers with regard to 
the matter. The track extended from camp about 
400 yards down to the shore of the bay, where it ab- 
ruptly ended. This fact was probably not duly 



52 REMINISCENCES, 

considered by George Washington and Caesar 
Augustus, the jockeys. Every man in the camp 
that was able even to crawl had stationed himself 
somewhere along the track, most of them of course 
as near the termmus as possible. Wash was 
mounted on the Captain's charger, without a saddle, 
but by way of compensation with a big pair of 
spurs on his prominent heels, Gus was likewise 
splendidly mounted, but provided with a rawhide 
instead of spurs. The importance of the issue was 
seriously impressed on their minds and their am- 
bition to win duly stimulated by the promise of 
fabulous rewards, if successful; besides, each, sepa- 
rately, was given to understand that the owner of 
the horse he rode would feel everlastingly dishon- 
ored if he was beaten in the race. True, the cap- 
tain and the lieutenant both happened to be awa>' 
from camp that day, but they would be sure to hear 
of the result, and it would not do to let them be 
disgraced ! 

At length everything is ready, the horses are on 
their mettle, so are the riders. The word "Go" is 
given and they are off, Caesar Augustus plies the 
whip and is soon in the lead, George Washington 
makes a good second as they fly down the track, 
and the men yell — how they do yell; the whooping 
of a whole tribe of Comanche Indians, with the 
howling of a pack of wolves thrown in, would be 
oppressive silence compared with that yell! The 
horses are excited — frightened — by the infernal 



HOKSE RACING. 53 

noise, but the effect on each is different. The Jieu- 
tcnant's horse, already in the lead, under the stimu- 
lus of the whip and the noise, seems to redouble his 
speed, and when he reaches the end of the course he 
cannot turn if he would, but leaping boldly out from 
the shore he appears for an instant like a flying cen- 
taur in mid-air, then plunges downward and is lost 
to sight beneath the waves! He soon comes to the 
surface, however, and in due time both horse and 
rider safely reach the shore. Quite different is the 
experience of the name-sake of the "Father of his 
Country." Startled by the unearthly yelling, and 
maddened by the goading of the spurs, his horse in- 
stead of increasing his speed, began to kick and 
plunge, and finally breaking through the ranks of 
men along the side of the coarse, went tearing and 
kicking, and rearing before and behind in a wonder- 
ful manner. The little contraband, looking like a 
monkey on a bucking circus pony, had no control 
of the horse, but only aggravated the case by press- 
ing the spurs deeper in his flanks, in his cflbrt to 
stick on! The matter began to grow serious, but 
after an hour's effort on the part of the whole camp 
the horse was caught and relieved of his l)adly 
frightened but plucky rider. Greatly to the chagrin 
of Caesar Augustus, the race was decided a draw, 
and all bets declared off! " Ise mighty shuah dat 1 
won dat race,-' said he, "kase I done got dar fust, 
fo' de Lawd!" but the judges were inexorable and 
he had to be content. 



54 REMINISCENCES. 

When the owners of the horses found out what 
liberties had been taken with their propei'ty some- 
body seemed to be a most ehgible candidate for the 
guard house, for a while; but finally the necessity of 
some relief to the monotony of camp life was tacitly 
admitted, and no serious notice was taken of the 
aflair. 

On the 26th of October we were greeted with an 
order from Gen. McClellan to cross the Potomac, 
and, while we were none of us anxious for another 
fight, some preferred a battle to the inactivity we 
had at Harper's Ferry, and we had waited so long 
for McClellan to do something, that when on the 8th 
of November, Burnside succeeded him, and began 
to reorganize the army, we rejoiced and took heart. 
Our regiment was brigaded with the Olth, 104th 
and 105th New York and the 107th Pennsylvania 
volunteers, and was assigned to the first brigade of 
the 2nd division of the first corps, commanded by 
Gen. J. F. Reynolds. 



FALLING OUT OF THE RANKS. 



I suffer with no vain pretence 
Of triumph over flesh and sense, 
Yet trust the grievous Providence. 

— Whim 



(LVt.) 



CHAPTER VI. 

FALLING OUT OF THE RANKS. 

Harper's Ferry was too much for many who could 
have endured the march or the battle. I soon found 
that the seed of disease had been sown in my sys- 
tem, and that I could not stand the march, so I se- 
cured permission to fall out of the ranks and walked 
along from the Potomac to Warrenton, getting in 
every night, save one, before the regiment left in 
the morning. That night I was too sick, and so 
slept in a smoke-house on some rubbish that had 
been stored for the winter. Here I met a typical 
white man of the poor class who told me, among 
other things, that if I would walk "two child's cries, 
two go-bys, and a dog's bark, I would come to 
Jones' farm, where I could get a heap of milk, for he 
kept a right smart of cows." Well, I made the run, 
got the milk, and overtook the regiment at Warren- 
ton. There I was sent into a church to help care 
for some others who were worse ofi" than I was. On 
the following day an order was received to take the 
sick to Washington. Box cars were provided, and 
the boys walked to the depot and entered the cars 
until all were filled. How we pitied the poor fellows 
(57) 



58 REMINISCENCES. 

who could not go! Some of them died from sheer 
disappointment. Ordered to enter a ^iven car it 
was locked, not to Ijc opened for the trip. In our 
car were dying men who prayed, others, in their de- 
lirium, cried and swore, while others amused them- 
selves with books and cards. 

On reaching Washington the dead were removed 
first, then the sick, and then we who could walk 
were turned into the streets to be fed with sand- 
wiches and cofice by the christian ladies of that city. 
I can never forget that meal, for I expected to re- 
turn with the train and perhaps never have another 
mviA like that, but, to my surprise, I was ordered 
to the hospital and given a bed; a bed with white 
sheets and a pillow. About eleven o'clock a light 
awoke me and there stood the post physician with 
his aids, who said, "young man, you must return to 
your regiment in the morning." I thanked him and 
was asleep in two minutes. Morning came, and I 
was up and ready to join the squad that had been 
ordered out, but there came that awful physician 
again, who said, "You can't go, fori see what I did 
not see last night. You will never see another tight. " 
"Is it possible?" I had never been in a fight, nor 
seen but one. Nevertheless, his w^ord was law, and, 
after a severe test, I was given a discharge which 
said, "heart disease;" ordered out into the streets of 
Washington penniless and alone, I walked slowly 
down the street, to be arrested again and again, l)ut 
on showing my papers was allowed to pass with a 



MUSTERED OUT. 59 

sneer, "Yes, you have played it well. They want 
you down at Fredericksburg about this time." But 
I was out, and my thoughts were now on home and 
what the friends would say, and what I should do 
should the physician's verdict prove true. All day 
I sat in the stores waiting for a settlement in order 
that I might get my money. Night came, the stores 
were closed ; hungry, cold, homeless and friendless, 
I walked the streets of the nation's capital, through 
which I had passed four months before a proud 
Mainiac ! Late in the night I found a lodging-place, 
where, after showing my papei's and promising most 
faithfully to pay the bill on the morrow, I succeeded 
in getting abed in a bunk, (already occupied by 
legions). Morning came none too soon, and being 
weak, I was late in getting into line before the pay- 
master's office, and so was obliged to stand in line 
until ten minutes of six o'clock in the evening, 
almost the last man to be paid, but when it came I 
had a good supper which I might have had the 
night before had I known of the good people in 
Washmgton at that time. 

Turning homeward, the train made very poor 
time. It was the longest journey of my life. New 
York had no attractions. Why should we be de- 
layed there ? Boston was not worth seeing. New- 
port, Mame, was the largest place in this world at 
that time, and the last forty miles from Portland to 
Newport was a most tedious journey Weak and 
sick as I was, I jumped from the train, ran across 



GO REMINISCENCES. 

the fields and entered the little wood-colored house 
before anyone knew I was in town. But the getting 
home did not make mo happy. For any number of 
days disappointment and unrest filled my heart and 
increased until August 17th, 1863, when I oficrcd to 
enlist again, and, to my surprise, passed the exam- 
ination, was enrolled as a soldier in company D., 
first regiment of cavalry of D. C, and was mustered 
October 17th as first duty-sergeant. We were told 
that this regiment was never to leave the District of 
Columbia, and hence great care was taken to select 
men of good height, sober habits and manly appear- 
ance. Indeed, every man walked with a pi'incely 
air and looked down with pity on the ordinary sol- 
dier, for we were to be equipped with Henry's re- 
peating carbine, which the skilled soldier could load 
and fire sixteen times per minute until the cylinder 
got too hot for use. Poor, deluded men, to think of 
staying in Washington with such arms ! Never- 
theless it helped us over the ordeal of leaving home 
for the second time, and made our wives and chil- 
dren, sweethearts, sisters and mothers feel that there 
was not much danger in our case. But no regiment 
ever suffered more in any year of the war than did 
the D. C. cavalry in ISGi. We crossed the James 
ISIay 7th, twelve hundred strong, and in October the 
same year we were consolidated with the first Maine 
cavalry, and only seventy-six of the twelve hundred 
answered to the roll-call. Poor fellows ! Thirteen 
of my company starved to death in Libby prison. 



FIRST D. C. CAVALRY. 



Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er, 

Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking; 

Dream of battle fields no more, 

Days of danger, nights of waking. 

—Scott. 



' T XTT ) 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE FIRST DISTRICT OF COLUM15IA CAVALRY. 

This regiment was unique in more ways tlaan one, 
Col. L. C. Baker, provost-marshal of the war de- 
partment, raised the first battallion in the District 
of Columbia, and they were set apart for service in 
connection with his work, but in 1S63 it was deemed 
wise to increase the number and org-anizc a res^i- 
ment, and eight hundred men were enlisted in the 
state of Maine for that purpose. Captain J. W. 
Cloudman enlisted the lirst hundred and forty men, 
and they were mustered into service October 19th, 
and left for Washington on October 22nd. Captain 
Cloudman was a good man, but utterly devoid of 
military genius or tact. He knew how to pursuade 
men to enlist, but never learned to give a command 
intelligently. This was a source of great mortifi- 
cation and sometimes led to shameful debates. He 
sought to make all his men comfortable and had no 
pets. One morning while in Augusta, Maine, after 
roll-call, he said, "Sergeant Bolton will lead us in 
prayer this morning." Frightened and confused, I 
had no time to explain or offer excuse, so 1 stepped 
to the front and poured my cry into the ear of Him 
(63) 



G4 KEBIINISCENCES. 

who carcth for all men. Some criticised the captain 
for taking such lil)crty, and it was not military, for 
I had enlisted to light, not to pray. Others sneered 
and a few spoke kindly of the matter. This led to 
an invitation to dine with the landlord of the Mam- 
mon house before leaving for Washington, an event 
often rt f erred to during the years of service. But 
the call to prayer did more, for, never during the 
years did temptation arise, but with the suggestion 
came the thought "These men have heard you pray; 
they look to you as a man of God," and, when the 
boys sought from time to time to play some game or 
trick the sergeant's feelings were consulted. No 
company of men could have done more for the com- 
fort tuid pleasure of a man than company D. did for 
its orderly-sergeant. 

Friend! are you a Christian? Have 3'ou taken 
Jesus as your Saviour? Let all who know you 
understand that 3()U want them to be acquainted 
Avith your position. It will give } ou a hold on the 
divine arm, for he hath said, " He that confesseth me 
before men, him will I confess before my Father and 
his holy angels." 

The journey to Washington had lost its romance, 
for we had come to think of Avar as a terrible calam- 
ity, and to fear the result of the civil conflict. On 
reaching the city we were inspected by Col. Baker, 
Lieut-Col. Conger and Major Baker. The cohmePs 
duty kept him busy most of the time at the Avar de- 
partment, leaving Lieut-Col. Conger in command, 



A HARD STRUGGLE. 65 

■who was military in every movement, severe, and 
sometimes cruel. Four of the companies bad been 
in Washington for a long time, and many of the 
men became very hard to control. They soon began 
their tricks, and sought to put the new comers in 
false and trying positions before the officers. The 
feeling found an issue one morning between Jack of 
the old battalion and Sergeant B, of company D. 
late from Maine. Jack came into camp about day- 
break full of poor rum, and began his tricks and 
slurs on tho Maine boys. Captain Curtis, after- 
wards major, was officer of the day, and Sergeant 
B. officer of the guard. 

'' Arrest that man, and put him in the guard 
house," said the captain. That was enough. Not 
knowing just how to perform that duty, 1 at once 
"matted onto" him, and soon found that 1 had en- 
countered a giant, and felt like the man who tackled 
a bear and Avanted two men to help him let go. 
But I was in for it. To fail meant loss of stripes, 
and worse, to submit to the taunts, sneers and tricks 
of the whole battallion, so for nearly thirty minutes 
it was a "rough and tumble " fight. At length 1 
conquered, and held him in the door until Captam 
Sphere came to my aid and together wo thrust him 
into the guard house; then when tho wounds were 
dressed, and new clothes furnished, I went back to 
put Jack astride a wooden horse for six hours. 
Poor Jack never again attempted to provoke a 
quarrel or refused to obey the Maine boys when on 



66 REMINISCENCES. 

duty. Later came six hundred and forty men from 
Manic, and Cloudman and Curtis w(U-o [)r()motcd as 
majors. Then the boys of the Pine Tree State were 
in the lead. 

Capt. Howe, a Baptist minister, vv'as assigned to 
our company, and Lieutenants Parkinan and Dun- 
ning. Capt. Howe was a nervy, sharp, military 
man, who very soon gave the men to feel the need 
of hcing thoroughly drilled, and when the time came 
he led bravely into battle, until taken prisoner at 
Sycamore Church, Sept. lOth, 1804. There he 
stayed eight weeks; then, after the consolidation 
with the first Maine cavalry, he commanded com- 
pany D, until March 31st, '05, when he was severely 
wounded, but recovered and was mustered out of 
service with the regiment, and now lives in Lewis- 
ton, Maine, a successful physician. Lieut. Park- 
man was a very different kind of a man. Every- 
body loved and trusted him. He Avas a good dis- 
plinarian, uncompromising, yet gentle and mild, of 
fine form and rode a tall black horse. No braver, 
more accomplished officer or truer man ever gave his 
life to our country, but alas! on the IGth of June, 
1801, while leading the company in an attack on 
Petersburg, he ws shot through the body and died 
the next day. I was Avith him and tried to comfort 
and aid him that fatal night, but he said, "Sergeant, 
my time has come; my woi'k is done, and I die 
without a regret other than this: I woukl like to go 
with you till the war is over; but God knows best." 



Mm: 







ii?|ifimiz:____ 



^■immmip' ■ , , :,,,gMmMiuju . ■ use 







'^MMmm 



CAPITOL. 



The flags of war like storm birds fly, 
The charging trumpets blow. 

— Wldttier 



( L.XVIII,) 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE WINTER OF 1863 AND '64 WITH CO. D. 

On our arrival in Washington we were given 
quarters at Camp Baker, a short distance east of 
Capitol Hill. Tlicre wo settled down, as we sup- 
posed, for the winter ; but not so. We were too 
well armed for any such luxury. After a few days 
of drill with our horses, an order came from Lieut. 
Howe to take Co. D. and report at Anundale, ten 
miles west of Alexandria. There we had mounted 
drill until the 27th of January. Then we joined the 
old battalion at Yorktown, and on the 28th were 
moved near the York river, where flowers were in 
bloom and the air balmy, though we were in mid- 
winter. This to a citizen of Maine seemed hardly 
credible, for some of us had been wont to see the 
earth covered with snow from November until May. 
Here amid the flowers we received our mail from 
home, an event of great moment to the soldier. The 
letters brought an inspiration that shortened faces, 
cheered hearts and filled them with iiope. Could 
the dear ones at liome who were under constant anx- 
iety have known what comfort those home messages 
brought to the Doys at the front, no mother, sister, 



70 REMINISCENCES. 

wife, or sweetheart would ever have allowed aii}^- 
thing to interfere with her letter writing. But 
hark ! It is daybreak, and we hear the call of 
''Boots and Saddles !" Thirty minutes and we aro 
off for our first raid. Ten days of work and light- 
ing in a strange land, brought us up the Chicka- 
hominy within ten miles of the rebel capital, where 
we seized and destroyed a very important junction 
and large supplies that were en route for Lee's army. 
Among other things found in this little city of one 
store, two houses, a tavern and blacksmith shop, 
was a cellar full of applejack, ""a drink very refresh- 
ing, but very dangerous to the soldier, especially 
while within the enemy's lines. Many of the men 
became so thoroughly intoxicated as to prevent their 
moving, and four miles out from the station we were 
obliged to leave some of them to their fate. Poor 
boys ! They were as brave as any that were enlistf^d 
in their country's cause, but they were hungry and 
tired, and so they drank the deadly drink in the face 
of death, and were never heard from again. When 
will this awful curse cease to dethrone the reason, 
mar the intellect, corrupt the body, and degrade the 
spirit ? When will men learn that wine is a mocker, 
that though fair to look on, at the last it "Biteth 
like a serpent and stingeth like an adder ?" 

We reached our lines in season to join the ex 
pedition for Newport News, where we embarked 
for Norfolk. It was a beautiful eveningon the 20tli 
of January, but before morning a light snow storm 



IN THE DOCK. 71 

had made everything slippery, and we cautioned the 
boys in getting off the boat not to be in haste or im- 
patient, for the horses were nervous and fractious. 
But we had one man in Co. D. who was a kind-heart- 
ed fellow but never could learn anything. Should 
he see these lines I know he will forgive the refer- 
once to him, for he must recall the hours spent la 
trying to teach him how to fasten the saddle, and the 
time when on mounted charge we found him under 
his horse, with both feet fast in the stirrups, and his 
head all bruised and bleeding with clips from the 

feet of his horse. Well, on this occasion 

was there, and we told him how to stand and what 
to do, but unfortunately the horse, as he stepped off 

the plank, stepped on 's foot. A quick yank 

at the curb-l)it threw horse, saddle, carbine, blanket, 
overcoat and haversack into the dock. It seemed a 
pity almost that the man did not go with his prop- 
erty. No one asked whose horse it was in the dock, 
struggling to extricate himself from the side- 
wheel; every one knew as a matter of course. But 
what will the horse do ? He is gone, and it seemed 
minutes before any sound revealed his whereabouts. 
But he had started to swim across the bay ; two men 
in a boat soon overtook and led him ashore. This 
poor man was always so heavily loaded as to make 
it impossible for him to do anything but care for his 
equipage. In this respect he was not unlike many 
whom we have known in the church and elsewhere 
who so burden themselves with the implements and 



72 REMINISCENCES. 

machinery of their profession as to have no strength 
left for the performance of its duties. ''Circmnlo- 
cution offices" in which an applicant is entangled in 
government red tape like an unfoi'timate fly in a 
spider's web, and charity organizations whose 
would-be beneficiaries starve to death while their 
cases are undergoing the process of investigation, 
are further examples of like character. 

During the months of our raiding the other six 
companies were enlisted and drilled, and on the 29th 
of April we were organized as a full regiment, bri- 
gaded with the Eleventh Pennsylvania, Col. Shere's 
command, and Gen. Kautz commanding the brigade. 
Gen. Kautz was a German by birth, but educated 
at West Point, and spent his life in the services of 
his adopted country. We soon came to love him 
and our confidence was never shaken for a moment. 
He was brevetted major-general in 1865 for gallant 
and meritorious service, and chosen as one of the 
commission before whom the assassins of President 
Abraham Lincoln were tried. 



KAUTZ'S RAID. 



And there was mounting in hot haste. 

— Byron. 



(lxxiv.) 



CHAPTER IX. 

GEN. KAUTZ'S RAID. 

On the 5th day of May, 1864, wc marched with a 
divisioQ of cavahy into Dixie for the purpose of 
weakening the enemy by destroying pubHc property, 
arresting the attention of Lee''s forces, and compell- 
ing him to send detachments from his main army to 
protect the property and guard the raih'oad over 
which his supplies passed. We passed through Suf- 
folk; crossed the Black water, and, on the afternoon 
of the 7th, Ave reached the Weldon railroad about 
two o'clock, having marched seventy miles. Here 
we encountered some cavalry en-route for Peters- 
bur^^. A brisk fight followed, but the sixteen- 
shooters were too much for the Confederates, sixty 
of whom became our prisoners, and told us that 
they had never before encountered anything like 
the swiftness of bullets from so small a force. It 
seemed to them that bullets came in among them l)y 
the basketful. Said a rebel lieutenant, "Do you 
fellows load over night and fire all day? " The rail- 
road was soon cut and public buildings burned. 
Strict orders were given not to damage personal 
property or molest the citizens, but to destroy every- 
(75) 



76 REMINISCENCES. 

thing of use to the confederate army. But the boys 
thought it a perfectly legitimate transaction to swap 
horses whenever they found any that looked oi 
moved better than their own; often unharneiising 
from the private carriage before the door of some 
mansion, the family horse, saddling him and riding 
off; leaving in exchange some old stack of bones that 
had been disabled by the long march or want of 
care, for some of the boys had never had any ex- 
perience in caring for horses before entering the 
army. 

Turning southward with one hundred and sixty 
prisoners, we marched straight for the point where 
the Weldon railroad crossed the Nottaway river. 
A huge bridge, well guarded by confederates, con- 
fronted us, for the astonishment at our audacity at 
entering Dixie no longer paralyzed the people. A 
short but terrible fight followed, resulting in the 
loss of Lieut. Jackson and some five men on our 
part, the taking of forty more prisoners, and the 
burning of the bridge. We then hastened on to 
City Point, and encamped for one day near Gen. Ben 
Butler's headquarters, crossing the Appomatox on 
the 10th. Thus in five days we made a tour of 
two hundred miles, fought two battles, destroyed 
miles of railroad, and burned millions of valuable 
property for the confederate forces. 

Gen. Kautz had gained the confidence of every 
man, and showed the authorities that a small force 
could materially weaken the main army by cutting 



A SUCCESSFUL RAID, '??" 

off supplies and destroying the means of transporta- 
tion. This was not a pleasing thought for the boys, 
for we knew that it meant raids in and through the 
rebel district, and we were tired, alarmed and home- 
sick, but strange as it may appear to those who have 
never bad any experience in war, twenty- four hours 
had not passed before we were ready for another 
raid. One thing may help to solve the problem. 
We were boys. Young men recuperate quickly 
and are restless. Three day's rations were served, 
and we stole through the lines again, full of hope 
and zeal because of our great success on the first 
raid. This emboldened us. This raid proved the 
most effective of the war. 

We left Butler ready for a fight with Beauregard, 
who, as it proved, was strengthening his forces, 
and Grant was watching Lee, and getting ready for 
the awful Wilderness fight. But we were off for 
Dixie. Hastening through Chesterfield county, 
stopping at the county seat just long enough to 
open the jail and set at liberty two of our men 
therein imprisoned, we pressed on to Coolficld Sta- 
tion, on the Danville railroad, thirteen miles east of 
Richmond, reaching the village about eleven o'clock 
in the evening. The citizens fled like wild men, 
alarmed and astonished at the presence of Yanks in 
such a locality. As we contemplate it from this 
distance, we wonder at such an undertaking. Think 
of a little handful of men on the Danville railroad, 
thirteen miles from Richmond on the direct route 



78 REMINISCENCES. 

to Petersburg in the midst of the niglit. But what 
we do must be done quickly, or Lee will send a 
force out to capture us. Guards thrown out cast, 
west, north and south, telegraph wires all cut, and 
public property on fire, we set about to tear up the 
railroads, and then in the light of burning build- 
ings, the value of which no one can tell, we hasten 
away without the loss of man or l)east. On the 
12th, the same thing was successfully performed at 
Black and White Stations on the South-Side rail- 
road, thirty miles west from Petersburg, and forty 
from Coolfield Station. Rails were torn up, heated 
and twisted around trees, wires torn down and 
wound around fences; corn, flour, tobacco and salt 
burned in great quantities; then on to the Weldon 
railroad where like mischief was done. We then 
started for Bellcficld, but when within two or three 
miles we found that the enemy was out in large 
force to capture the regiment of sixteen-shootcrs, 
and, our object being to weaken Lee's forces more 
by destroying supplies than by fighting, we turned 
to the left and hastened to Garrett station on the 
Nottaway river, where we found, to our horror, the 
bridge had been cut away and the fords were strong 
ly guarded. 

We were in a trap, but Maine boys were not to 
be captured that way, so we took to the woods, 
felled the trees, dragged them to the banks, and, 
in the night, constructed a bridge across the river, 
and before morning wc were miles from our foe. 



DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY. 79 

We reached City Point on the 19th and went into 
camp on the 20th, having marched or worked twenty 
hours out of every twenty-four for nine days. 
Horses and men were thoroughly exhausted, after 
having cut the Richmond and Danville and South- 
Side railroad in six different places and done much 
to weaken the army of the enemy. 

It may seem almost incredible, but we were so 
hungry that the corn captured for our horses was 
eaten by us with an occasional hoe cake, as a sweet 
repast for six days out of the nine. Oh, how sweet 
was rest the night of the twentieth ! On the ground 
we spread our rubber blankets and with boots for 
pillows and horses tied to our wrists, Ave said our 
evening prayer and knew not where we were until 
the sun shone in our upturned faces and paid, "It 
isda3^" Neither man nor beast heeded the bugle 
for roll-call that morning. 



WILSON'S RAID. 



Above the maddening cry for blood, 
Above the wild war drumming, 
Let Freedom's voice be heard, with good 
The evil overcoming. 

— Whittier. 



( LXXXII.) 



CHAPTER X. 
Wilson's raids. 

We were in camp at City Point only for a few 
hours rest, to exchange horses, and draw rations and 
ammunition, for there was a general movement all 
along the line before Petersburg. So on the 22nd 
of June a division of eight thousand men under 
Gens. Wilson and Kautz struck the Weldon rail- 
road at Ream's station, ten miles from Petersburg 
and within seven miles of Birney and Smith's armies, 
where they were contending for a position on the 
same road. Wilson pushed on down the South Side 
road for ten miles, destroying all before him. Here 
they met Pitzhugh Lee's army, and, after a brisk 
fight, conquered, and then pushed on to join us at 
Burksville Junction. From thence we pushed down 
the Danville railroad, destroying it until we came 
within eighteen miles of Roanoke Bridge, which we 
found guarded by a large force of militia gathered 
up in that part of Virginia and the nearest counties 
of North Carolina. We had accomplished much for 
which we started, and felt like hastening back, for 
all about us seemed alive with graybacks. 

The waste on the railroad had been so thorough, 
(83) 



84 REMINISCENCES. 

and the demands for transportation were so great, 
that Gen. Lee found it expedient to call off all his 
scouters and at once repair the damage. He had 
only ten days' rations for his army and was in a 
campaign for months. What should he do 'i The 
price of corn and wheat went up until they were 
obliged to pay $40 per bushel for wheat and $20 for 
corn, and the harvesters were busy trying to keep 
their army from starvation. Gen. Lee, in his letter, 
said, "The enemy have done us immeasurable harm 
by their attacks on the railroads," and he added, 
"But it cost them dearly ;" and so it did. Besides 
those left dead and wounded on the fields, we lost 
1,000 men, ]3 pieces of artillery, and 30 wagons 
and ambulances. At Stony Creek we met a heavy 
force, and, after a hard-fought battle, had to retreat. 
Here Lieut. James Maguirc was badly wounded, 
and Major Baker asked us to procure a bed on which 
he might be carried into camp should we succeed in 
reaching our lines, for it began to look as if we had 
undertaken too much ; but, seeing in the distance a 
fine mansion, wc de'ailcd four men and bounded 
away to learn that it was the home of Major-Gen. 

, of the confederate army. On entering the 

house we were apprised of sickness in the spacious 
dwelling. We found dogs and servants too numer- 
ous to mention in the lower flat, but a soldier will 
never take "no" for an answer when his comrade 
needs help, so we found the richest hod we ever saw, 
in the room off the front parlor, and, seizing it nmid 



STONY CREEK. 85 

the barking of dogs and the threateuings of servants, 
we hastened to make the faithful comrade as com- 
fortable as possible. But, alas ! the ride was too 
much and he passed to his reward during the night, 
from a tine bed in a donkey cart. 

Morning greeted us with wild screams from our 
colored friends, who had forsaken all to follow us 
mto our lines. They knew that there was trouble 
ahead for the colored people, and having anticipated 
our coming, were out to meet us. We can never 
forget the night of the 2Sth, nor the morning of the 
29th. Long before light men and women rushed 
mto our presence crying as if their hearts would 
break, "You's all dead; you's all dead; Massa Hill 
IS dar with heaps of guns; you'sdcad ! You's dead, 
sho." What should we do? We had expected to 
find this point in the hands of union forces, but alas! 
before nme o'clock we found ourselves surrounded 
by HilTs division. I was detailed that morning to 
take the advance with twenty men, and, on nearing 
the swamp just east of the station, a poor old black 
woman called, "Massa, don' go down dar, for Massa 
Hill is dar waiting for ye;" but go we must, and 
did, to be greeted with grape and canister. I was 
dismounted and many of the boys were torn to 
pieces. Back to the on-coming army I hastened to 
report, and soon was in the midst cf a heavy con- 
flict. Twenty-eight hundred "contrabands" were 
huddled together in the shade of the woods near the 
line of battle. Into them the enemy turned their 



86 EEMIKISCENCES. 

shells, and for a little while we found relief. Then 
came a mounted charge of our division. Dismount- 
ed and alone with ex Gov. Davis, of Maine, we 
clung to the earth as on came the contending armies. 
To rise was death. To lie still was to have the 
horses of the 11th Pennsylvania go over us. We 
decided to let the horses go, and, turning toward 
them, while bullets flew thick and fast, we forgot 
that fact while watching the charge. Nothmg in 
our experience ever surpassed it as a picture. Those 
horses — we seem to see them now — coming with 
strained nostrils, leaping and foaming, while the 
riders stood in the stirrups, with saber gleaming in 
the sunlight, and all screaming at the top of their 
voices. On! on! they come. A leap and we are 
safe. Not a hoof has touched us. Bat look! The 
infantry has formed a hollow square, and our horses 
are reeling and falling, while none of our men can 
reach the foe with saber. Back they come! The 
fight is over and the army is scattered. Gen. Wil- 
son destroys his wagons and caissons, then in a 
round-about way brings in the scattered men of his 
command. Gen. Kautz calls his men together, re- 
cites the real condition, and then said: "Boys, if 
you will follow me I will take you in." We were 
only too glad to folloAV him, for we knew he was our 
friend. We reached our old camp inside the Union 
forces at Jones' Landing the next day. 

A sadder sight we never beheld than our boys pre- 
sented the morninsf we entered the Union lines at 



A CAVALRY CHARGE. 87 

Lighthouse Pomt, July 2nd. Not one in fifty had 
a cap, Avith clothes torn and horses ready to fall with 
sheer exhaustion. One poor fellow presented him- 
self on the morning of the 3rd for inspection with- 
out shoes or hat and with pants badly torn. "What," 
said the flippant inspector who had never smelled 
powder in his life, "have you no shoes or hat?" 

"No, sir, not this side of Ohio." 

Here we tarried twenty days to recuperate and 
readjust our equipage after sixty days continuous 
marching and fighting during the Kautz and Wilson 
raids. 




PATROL. 



AFTER THE RAIDS. 



A while ■within their tents they rest, 

And fill the passing hour with song and jest. 

— Unknown. 



(xc.) 



CHAPTER XI. 

AFTER THE RAIDS. 

We "were put into the cavalry cori)s under the 
dashinar and brilliant Phil. Sheridan. We had never 
seen him and hence were curious to know how he 
looked. So on the 27th our corps and the second 
corps of infantry were ordered to take the north side 
of the James in order to draw from the enemy in 
front of Petersburg, where an attack had been or- 
dered in connection with the mine explosion. The 
head of the army arrived on the west side of the 
Appomattox about nine in the evening and we 
joined them about three the next morning. All 
day the army was crossing on pontoon bridges, 
and we had a good chance to see the man, for the 
whole day was spent in crossing the river. 

"Where is Sheridan?" was the inquiry from 
hundreds. 

"There he is. See him!" 

"What, that short, sa wed-off fellow sitting on the 
rear pommel of his saddle?" 

"That's the man, the famous hero of Shenandoah 
valley." 

"He don't look like a great man; he is too nervous; 
(91) 



92 REMINISCENCES. 

why don't he sit still or dismount and rest till the 
army gets over the river." 

No, he never was still for a moment. He impressed 
us as a man who was in the army for business. "He 
will reign, no matter what it cost." "That man 
must rise, for like the architect of Florence, he 
superintends every detail and acknowledges no ob- 
stacle as insurmountable." To say he is Ijruvc has 
become insipid. To say he is reckless is false. He 
IS not blind to difficulties nor indiiFerent to compli- 
ments. He knows where he is and what the dangers 
are and he meets them with an unconquerable will. 
He dashes into the fight with a lover's inspiration, 
and all his boys follow him. Not a man questioned 
his decision or ability to do anything he undertook, 
though the circumstances might appear most for- 
bidding, for we remember his swift reverse of a 
confederate victory; how he met his defeated boys 
rushing madly before a victorious foe and turned 
that living stream back upon the enemy, and re- 
deemed the day by his indomitable will; how quick- 
ly his keen eye took in the situation, and his proud 
spirit leaped into the arena for a race to victory. 

"Yes, that is the man!" "We will follow him 
wheresoever he goes, for he seems to possess all the 
necessary elements for success." His success as a 
leader of scouts has no parallel in military history. 
He often entered the lines of the confederates, 
dressed in then- uniform, and gave orders as coming 
from some general who was supposed to have the 



PHIL. SHERIDAN. 93 

authority, much to the confusion of the army. On 
one occasion Lee's supply train was fightini^ its way 
through a wood, beating the poor mules and push- 
ing them on as fast as possible, for Lee's army was 
sorely pressed and nearly out of ammunition and all 
out of rations. Riding up to the man in charge he 
said: 

"Gen. presents his compliments and 

orders you to post your train in the field yonder," 
and then rode swiftly away. 

The order was obeyed, and when the last wagon 
was in position, a yell, a dash from Sheridan's 
corps and the confederates were ours with all 
their supplies. You certainly would have thought 
ten thousand Comanche Indians had broken loose 
could you have heard that yell. On another oc- 
casion one of his trained men rode up to a briga- 
dier-general, who, at the head of his brigade, was 
giving directions for a retreat, and saluting him, 
said: 

"Gen commands you to take your men 

out into yonder field and rest for a little." 

"What field?" 

Pointing out to the west he said, "Follow me 
for a feAV rods and I will show you, sir." 

Leaving his body-guard the general followed only 
to find himself a prisoner as he turned around the trees; 
and such a look of disgust Avas on his face when he en- 
tered our lines as no words can describe, and no lapse 
of time can obliterate from our memory. The sue- 



94 REMINISCENCES. 

cess of these men made them reckless. The clay 
before Lee surrendered, one of the boldest rode up 
to a general and ordered him to move his troops. 

"What staff are you on?" was the quick reply. 

"Gen. 's," answered the unabashed scout. 

"That's too thin, sir, for I am Gen. , and you 

were never on my stafl. " 

The poor fellow had made a mistake such as would 
have cost him his life, only that the surrender was 
too near at hand. 

Having watched this great man all da}^, we went 
into camp with our confidence established, and after 
a quarter of a century, we still believe there was no 
general in the union army that could inspire his men 
with greater enthusiasm than could Major-General 
Phil. Sheridan. 



ARTILLERY DUEL. 



Cannon to right of them, 
Cannon to left of them, 
Cannon in front of them, 
Volleyed and thundered. 

— Tennyson. 



ixcvi.) 



CHAPTER XII. 

AN ARTILLERY DUEL. 

Soldiers often find themselves in trying and dan- 
gerous positions, positions into which no money 
could tempt them to enter, but if there is anj'^ one 
place more to be dreaded than all others in active 
service, it is between armies during an artillery duel. 

On the 18th of August, 18G4, a movement was 
made to capture the Weldon railroad in Virginia. 
We were successful not only in taking, but in hold- 
ing it, for seven days of constant fighting. On the 
22nd our regiment met Hampton's legion, and it 
was " Greek meeting Greek." Only that our men 
were better equipped, we should never have fought 
another battle, but the foe could not face our six- 
teen-shooters. They were obliged to fall back and 
leave their dead and wounded on the field. We 
lost many of our best men during these days, among 
Avhom I recall a sergeant of company A, a brave, 
true soldier, and at one time a lieutenant-colonel 
of the second Maine infantry. It became my priv- 
ilege to take his remains to the rear, where I found 
men more excited and crazed than in any part of 
the field. Running about wounded and frantic, 
they were firing promiscuously at friend or foe. 
(07) 



98 REMINISCENCES. 

On the 25th the decisive battle was fought, and 
when the day was far spent, indications told of a 
flank movement on the part of the enemy. Some- 
body must meet and checkmate that movement. 
Who could do it? Not a breastwork in that direc- 
tion, and few tools with which to construct one. 
But it became our lot to undertake the work. Dis- 
mounted, our horses sent to the rear, wearied, and 
faint-hearted, we rushed in. Trees, logs and stumps 
came piling in without machines, oxen or horses. 
In a short time we had built a temporary breast- 
work and covered it with earth, behind which we 
lay waiting for the anticipjited movement. While 
in this condition the duel commenced. Every shell 
went through our fortifications as lightning through 
a pine bush. Shot, shell and clubs flew all about 
us. The heavens were black with missiles of death, 
but the men stood their ground. For two mortal 
hours these great mortars poured their shell through 
our helpless ranks. We were saved only by cling- 
ing to the earth, and rolling into furrows made by 
passing shells. To stand up was exposure not only 
to the shell but sharpshooters peering out of trees 
over the way. Every heart was sick, every ear was 
open, for the firing meant more to a soldier than 
simply an artillery duel. When the way was made 
clear, a charge was sure to follow. 

Look! There comes a general and his stafi"! Boys! 
Something is to happen here. Steady! They're 
coming! At this we could see the enemy in strong 



ARTILLERY DUEL. 99 

line of battle advancing through the woods. Noting 
the position of our regiment, they raised a yell and 
rushed into the charge. But they paid dearly for 
their folly. Major Baker commanding our regi- 
ment, said, "Boys, wait! Be calm; don't fire," 
and like the men who followed Putnam in the cele- 
brated battle of Bunker Hill, we waited until we 
could see the "white of the eye, then fired, and the 
first volley told the story. Many ti poor fellow drew 
a short breath, never to breathe again. Another 
and another volley followed in quick succession, 
until the enemy was swept from our front. But 
alas! we must leave our victory, for our army is ex- 
liausted, and the enemy are at home. The artillery 
is hushed. The rattle of infantry passes away with 
the smoke, and we hasten amid the groans of the 
wounded and the prayers of the faithful chaplains, 
to the woods where our horses are. Entering the 
forest, a tempest such as Virginia's climate and a 
great battle can get up, greeted us before we reached 
our horses, and so terrible was the storm that man 
and beast stood awed before Him who ruleth the 
elements. Ah! what a day and night that was! 
As we tramped the woods and wrung the water 
from our clothes that night we asked, "Can men 
forget this, or ever again be gay and frivolous? " 
Where are our brave boys? Where are our tired 
companions? How can we make known the results 
of this day to the faithful mothers, wives and sisters 
of our fallen comrades? But when the mormng 



100 REMINISCENCES. 

comes with its sunshine and demands, the sighs 
and tears of yesterday will be gone forever; and so 
we liasten to unpack our haversacks and canteens 
for an evening meal. 

I recall one scene, where a farmer of some notor- 
iety gave vent to his feelings towards Abraham 
Lincoln and his supporters. Our lieutenant m 
command of the squad waited until the old man 
stopped to take breath, then said, "My friend, we 
have concluded to tax all luxuries, and as this tirade 
seems to be a luxury to you, we Avill take a few 
pounds of that fresh butter the servants are puttuig 
away.'' 'Che butter came, and was occasion for 
another outburst, and the lieutenant said, "Yes, 
and for that we will take six of the best ham.s in 
your smokehouse and a bag of flour." Sambo 
showed his teeth, made an island of his head, sur- 
rounded by mouth, and brought out the hams and 
flour. At this the old man dropped his cigar, 
straightened himself for another storm, but the lieu- 
tenant said, "Bring here those two beeves, and if 
you utter another word against our government or 
its president, we will take you along with us into 
camp." We left him a sadder and wiser man, and 
hastened to enjoy one of the best suppers ever given 
to mortals. One liour after the feast we were 
sleeping as sweetly as though we had never seen a 
battle or lost a friend. 



Lay him low, lay him low, 
In the clover or the snow; 
What cares he, he cannot know, 
Lay him low. 

— Qeo. Henry Baker. 



(CII.) 



CHAPTER XIII. 

SYCAJVIORE CHURCH AND COX's MILLS. 

On the 3d of August we went into camp at Syc- 
amore Church to do picket duty along the Weldon 
raih'oad. The line extended from the left of the 
line of fortifications in an easterly direction through 
Prince George's Court House, Lee's Mills, Syca- 
more Church and Cox's Mills. Here we seemed to 
be favored, and set about making ourselves as com- 
fortable as possible. Our supplies w^ere not large, 
nor our tools extensive, but with such as we had the 
boys set to work constructing houses and getting in 
supplies for the winter, and soon had some of the 
most cosy huts ever seen; beds with pillows that 
surpassed the downy pilloM's of home life, lawns, 
flower beds, gardens, hotels, storehouses and camps 
that would make the men of the wild west long to 
emigrate. Mails from home brought boxes of sup- 
plies that made the autumn paradisic in every sense. 

But this was not to last. One day some gentle- 
men came to see our quarters and admire our unique 
city. Oh, how very friendly and eager to minister 
to our comfort they were! Invitations to visit their 
homes outside the lines, with assurances of protec- 
(103) 



104 REMINISCENCES. 

tion, were profusely given. But we did not go. 
They were spies, and soon returned to say to Gen. 
Hill, "The Yanks have 2,500 head of cattle with 
other supplies, and have less than seven hundred 
men guarding them. Major Baker is in command 
at Sycamore Church with six companies. Gen. 
Kautz is near at hand with his brigade at headquar- 
ters, while Capt. Howe with four companies is at 
Cox's Mills." 

Before the morning light appeared a move was on 
foot to capture the supplies, for the confederates 
needed food about this time. Our picket was driven 
in a!)out five o'clock, and we rushed from our little 
liouses into the works, then upon the brow of the 
hill. Twice we repulsed them, but soon found they 
were too many for our force. Capt. Howe said, 
"Sergeant, mount company D. and fall back to 
Sycamore Church, and I will hold back the foe as 
best I can." 

We obeyed, not knowing what had taken place 
at the church. We ordered Sergeant Hamilton 
to report to the major our coming, but he dashed 
into camp to find himself in the hands of the 
enemy. We pushed on, when a man in one of 
our uniforms ordered a halt and commanded that 
the sergeant advance. Supposing it to be our man 
I obeyed, and with revolver in face was told to 
come. 

Not a gun had been fired as yet at the recep- 
tion given, for the enemy were waiting for all to 



A NARROW ESCAPE, 105 

get into the trap set for us. But 1 saw what had 
taken place, at a ghmce. Turning on my horse, I 
reported to Capt. Howe who had come up on the 
left. He surrendered all, while I refused, and dash- 
ing from the line, hastened to the woods. One 
hundred men fired but hit neither me nor the horse. 
Leaping into a ditch over the bank, my horse stuck 
in the mud. With carbine in hand I rushed on and 
made the woods, bringing five men with me. Poor 
Ned (my horse) struggled to extricate himself, and 
soon overtook his master. Faithful beast! Will 
there bo animals in heaven? I should like to see 
him once more. He was such a friend to his master! 
" But were you not terribly frightened? " 
No, I was not afraid; nor did I question the 
result. A man is said to be immortal until his work 
is done, and the night before, I had been made to 
feel that God had yet a special work for me to do. 
Leaving the house I shared with Hamilton, Greeley, 
Clark, Dolorinc amd Smiley, all of whom were 
captured in this attack, I spent the night in prayer 
until twelve, then after the second relief was sta- 
tioned and all was found well, 1 called upon my 
chums and preached my first sermon to a most 
appreciative audience, some of whom I have never 
seen since, but hope to meet "in the morning." 
I knew that God would prove a way of escape or 
permit mo to tell the story of his love in prison, 
either of which would be a joy. So fear took its 
flisfht and I went on. 



lOG REMINISCENCES. 

For five hours I wandered in the woods before I 
could get my bearings, but then in the distance 1 
saw the flag and hastened to report. The detach- 
ment jM'oved to be what was left of Major Baker's 
command at Sycamore Church — Capt. Sphear and 
twenty men. Evening came, and wo were ordered 
to return and bury our dead. No fire or light was 
allowed, so we went six in number to bury the boys 
wo had seen in the morning happy and hopeful, 
now dead. What a night! Corporal Davis, since 
governor of the state of Maine, too sick to carry 
his carl)inc, searching in vain for a brother who had 
shared his youthful bed, a mother's love and the 
counsel of a godly father, whose ministry was greatly 
appreciated in my native home. At midnight we 
sat down, dusted the haversacks, ate the dry beef, 
and Avcjit alone amid the pines, for oiu- comrades 
were dead, or worse, en-route for Libby prison. 
Thirteen of them starved to death in that den. 

I am sure that I shall confer a favor on my read- 
ers by introducing here an interesting account of 
the capture and journey to Libby Prison of the late 
Chaplain Louis N. Beaudry, Chaplain Beaudry 
will be remembered by all who were his compan- 
ions in that castle of misery and starvation — in no- 
toriety of infamy, second only to Anderson ville 
itself — for ho contributed as much as anyone there 
to the alleviation of the horrors of the place, by his 
cheerful spirit, his unfailing kindness to others, and 
his almost unlimited resources of entertainment, by 



ALONE IN THP: WOODS. 107 

poetry, eloquence and song. Chaplain McCabe, 
who was there, declares that he was the most useful 
man in Libby Prison. The following is his account 
of how he came to be an inmate of the place: 




REV. L. N. BEAUDRY, 



OFF TO PRISON. 



No more will booming cannon, 

Nor blast of bugle call, 
Arouse to scenes of battle, 

Nor break this last recall. 

Ready for any summons. 
From earth or from above, 

His arms were gladly grounded 
At the command of love. 

Thus from the noise of battle, 
Thus from the field of strife, 

He marched to peace eternal, 
To the endless life. 

—D. R. Lowell, D. D. 



(ex.) 



CHAFrER XIV. 

MY CAPTURE AND JOURNEY TO LIBBY PRISON. 
By the late Rev. Louis N. Bkauduy. 

Gettysburg! What memories the word awak- 
ens! Three clays of bloody work, and then rebel 
desperation and folly rise to flood-tide. At this 
point Pickett's Virginia division rushes out u[)on its 
grand charge, and is annihilated! The earth trem- 
l)les, the an' shakes and is darkened, while nearly 
400 pieces of artillery belch forth fire and death. 
The battle is distinctly heard for twenty-live miles 
away in every direction. It is probably the most 
fearful cannonade ever heard on earth. 

Scarcely had the echoes of the last gun reverber- 
ated among the liills of the Keystone state, when 
General Meade, commanding the victorious army 
of the North, ascertained ])y his scouts and other- 
Avisc that the enemy was already retreating toward 
his own i)hice. Accordingly General Kilpatrick, at 
the head of the third division of cavalry, was ordered 
on a wide detour through Emmetsburg around the 
rebel right, for the purpose of intercepting their 
retreating trains m the defiles of the mountams. 
During the night of Saturday, the Fourth of July, 
(111)" 



1 1 2 REMINISCENCES. 

in the midst of a drenching rain, the Yanlvec ''boys " 
fell upon EwclFs train at the Monterey pass. The 
blending of thunder with roaring of cannon and 
bursting of shells, the flashes of lightning from the 
clouds mingled with the fire of our own pieces, and 
these followed with impenetrable darkness, pro- 
duced a scene of the wildest grandeur. About 250 
wagons, laden with property stolen from the stores 
and granaries of Pennsylvania, and 1,500 prisoners 
fell into our hands. 

It was diiring the latter part of the night that at 
least fifty of us were surrounded by a superior force 
of rebel cavalry. It is hard enough for a Yankee, 
and harder still, I think, for a Yankee Frenchman, 
to say to an enemy, "I surrender." This, how- 
ever, had to be done. A rebel had hastened to 
take posession of my horse. I had a splendid 
charger, the pride of my heart and a favorite with 
the regiment. I expostulated as best I knew how. 
"Young man, I am a chaplain, and that horse is 
mine and not the government's; will you not respect 
my private property':!" 

He answered me only with a hateful sneer. The 
officer in command soon made his appearance. To 
him I made my appeal. To ni}' surprise he turned 
to the horse-thief and said: "Let that horse alone, 
sir." Then, turning to mc, he pleasantly added: 
"Take your own horse, chaplain, saddle and mount 
him, and when you reach Gen. Stuart's headquarters 
you shall be released," Bowing him my thanks — 



A WEAKY MAFCII. 113 

and it may be easily inferred how polite a French- 
man could be under such circumstances — and, re- 
assured by his promise, I gathered up my "traps," 
and was soon riding among the ' ' Johnnies. " About 
noon of that eventful day we reached the anticipated 
headquarters (in the saddle, of course), near a village 
called Mechanicsville, Md. 

On arriving near General Stuart, according to 
stipulations made me at the time of my capture, I 
was immediately released— of my horse, and of al' 
hopes of liberty. A personal interview with tht 
general, liefore whom 1 laid all ray rights and com- 
plaints, availed me nothing but renewed aggrava- 
tions. "With my hand upon the shoulder of hi;? 
horse, I looked up into Stuart's bright blue eye!> 
and clearly saAV his mental agitation. When ho 
learned that I belonged to Kilpatrick's troopers, he 
nervously inquired: 

" Where is Kilpatrick?" 

" I don't know, sir." 

" How many men has Kilpatrick? "" My answer 
made him none the wiser. He wore his notable 
slouched hat, adorned with a black plume. Ho 
carried an ivory-handled bowie-knife, fastened by a 
gold chain to his belt. Our interview was brief, 
and away he rode toward the head of his column. 

The griefs of that Sabbath day's journey can 
never be recounted. Lugging my equipage, I 
was compelled to walk through deep mud and 
through swollen and unbridged brooks, paddling 



114 REMINISCENCES. 

along with my great cavalry boots. All this while 
a rebel provost-marshal (Lieutenant Ball) rode my 
beautiful horse. Up and down the lines he passed 
with a frequency that seemed intent on mocking my 
sorrows. On one occasion, as he passed me, he 
informed me that my horse was worth to him $500. 
That was exasperating. 

Our captors paid no attention whatever to our 
physical wants. No rations were issued to us dur- 
ing the whole day. We would all have fainted, as 
many did, had not the Union ladies along our route 
come to our relief. Tliey brought us bread, cakes, 
cold meats, etc. , pressing through the guards who, 
at times threatened to bayonet them, while, with 
tears at our sorrows and prayers for our safety, 
they bade us god-speed. Lasting honors be to those 
generous, heroic souls! Near midnight we arrived 
at Leightersburg, in the valley of the Potomac. 
Footsore and weary we were driven into a damp, 
grassy field, where we lay down and slept. 

The next day Kilpatrick and Stuart had a sharp 
encounter in Hagerstown. Marched and counter- 
marched most of the day; about sundown Ave were 
driven into a field, where we supposed W'e might 
spend the night. Darkness had come, and we had 
fallen asleep on the sward. Suddenly I heard the 
call: " Chaplain, Fifth New York cavalry." Spring- 
ing to my feet, I saw a rel)cl lieutenant standing 
near me with whom I had had some conversation 
during the day. He held in one hand a piece of 



AN ACT OF KINDNES. 115 

warm bread, and in the other a cup of smoking hot 
cofiee. In an undertone he said: " ChapUiin, I 
thought you might be hungry, and I've brought 
you this for your supper." I was well nigh over- 
whelmed at the unexpected act of kindness. Truly 
this was a noble fellow, worthy of a better cause. 
Glad am I to signalize nobility of character where- 
ever 1 tind it. 

We reached and crossed the Potomac at Will. 
iamsport. The rebel army was in a deplorable con- 
dition. There was no douljt in the minds of prison, 
ers that if General Meade had followed up his Get- 
tysburg victory he would have bagged the majority 
of the rebel forces. All their hopes in making this 
invasion had been blasted. Their ammunition was 
nearly exhausted; they were all dispirited, and many 
of them demoralized. The feeling of their rank 
and file was graphically expressed by one of the 
officers of the guard. On reaching the sacred soil 
of Virginia he flung his saber to the ground, ex- 
claiming with much emotion: " Lie there! and Til 
never cross the river again on an expedition of this 
kind, God helping me! " 

A change of guards was here made, when a strik- 
ing episode occurred. By the outgoing commander 
many of us were introduced to the provost-marshal 
of the incoming force. As my turn came I was 
presented as " Chaplain Bcaudry." 

"To what denomination do you belong? " inquired 
the talkative official. 



116 REMINISCENCES. 

"I am a Methodist minister,'" I replied. 

"So am I," smilingly added my interlocutor. 

"I am sorry to find you where you are, brother," 
I quickly chimed in. 

"Ditto, ditto," replied the Rev. Mr. Linthicum 
of the Baltimore conference, into whose hands 1 was 
prisoner and guest. This serio-comic interview and 
passage at w^ords served mo a good purpose. He 
treated mo with peculiar deference. One day he 
urged me to mount his horse, and I rode some dis- 
tance. The pleasure of recalling the incident is 
quite as great as was the relief of the occasion. 

On Friday, July 10, we all suflfered terribly from 
the excessive heat. We were marching up the 
beautiful Shenandoah valley, or Valley of Viiginia. 
On our left was the Blue Ridge, and on our right 
the North or Shenandoah mountains. Scarcely a 
breath of air stirred the foliage. The sun poured 
his hot rays directly upon us. Weakened by hun- 
ger, for we were poorly rationed, we were an easy 
prey to fatigue. Many, even of the guard, gave 
out completely. If infantrymen, accustomed to 
that climate and to the hardships of the march, 
failed it may be seen how much cavalrymen sulTered. 
Before night both my feet were terribly w^oundcd 
with blisters under each heel, like the two sections 
of a halved hen's egg. 1 had perspired so much, 
and was so exhausted, that cold flashes from my 
hips shot up my back, indicating that I was in a 
most critical condition. That night we bivouacked 



COOKING UNDER DIFTICULTIES, 117 

at the Washington springs, near Winchester, where 
we rested until the next Sunday afternoon. It was 
well for me, for I was hors d'^etat for the journey. 
Blisters broken under my heels, blood and water 
filling my stockings, limbs stifiened with the over- 
exertions of the march, reaction from over-heated 
blood, courage in my mental thermometer down to 
zero, 1 was never in my life so nearly unmanned. 
An antidote came on Saturday afternoon. Wo 
heard, through rebel sources, of the fall of Vicks- 
burg. Had it not been for rebel bayonets all around 
us Ave would have cheered lustily. As it was, like 
our Quaker friends, we endured our joy quietly. 
" Vicksburg! Gettysburg! Gettysburg! Vicks- 
burg! " passed and repassed from lip to lip, like a 
draught of sweet nectar to the Union prisoners, but 
like vinegar and gall to our enemies. 

Some may be curious to know what was allowed 
as for rations on our journey. Let mo tell them. 
Bacon was the principle staple, bacon often rusty 
and sometimes very lively. Had I laitl on the 
ground, live stock downwards, the piece given mo 
on one occasion, I am sure it would have tried to 
walk away. With a stick or a knife we removed 
the objectionable parasites and made the best use 
we could of the rest. To this was added a little 
salt and a handful of flour. It required some inge- 
nuity to prepare these rations for food. This, in 
brief, is the plan: Throw a rubber poncho over two 
sticks about a foot apart, make a dishing place by 



118 KEMINISCENCES. 

pressing down the poncho between the sticks; this 
is the bowl or tray. Pour in Hour, salt, and water; 
stir the mixture with finger, stick, or spoon. Mean- 
while a comrade has made a fire; another has found 
a smooth stone and thrown it into the fire. When 
the stone is hot draw it out; spank your. dough on 
the stone and turn it up to the fire. The hot stone 
cooks one side, the fire the other. But, oh, what 
bread! Good for solid shot, or for paving material. 
But Yankee stomachs must convert it into food. 
Be thankful if you only have enough. Devouring 
hunger never stops for quality. 

Two hundred miles of travel bring us at length to 
Staunton, Va., a lovely town nestling among the 
hills. Here we strike the Virginia Central railway. 
On the morning of the 18th of July we take cars 
for the rebel capital. A sorry lot of Yankee sol- 
diers arc we. 

I must state that about 4,000 Union soldiers were 
captured in the campaign of Gettysburg. Of these, 
200 were officers. The first dispatches published in 
Richmond gave the number of Ytuikee prisoners 
40,000. The city was wild with joy, while our 
poor fellows in Libby were sadly dejected. The 
second day's news confessed that one zero too man}' 
had been given. Outside Libby prison the mer- 
cury fell to the bulb, inside it effervesced. Rich- 
mond was plunged into lamentations and gloom 
when it was ascertained that at least 17,000 con- 
federates had been captured; that Pickett's division 



GOOD AND BAD NEWS. 119 

was no more; and that General Lee was hastily 
flying back with his broken legions across the Poto- 
mac. 




W R. C. 



HOSPITAL. 



The friends tbou bast and their adoption tried, 
Grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel. 

Shakespeare, 



(cxxrr.) 



CHAPTER XV. 

HOSPITAL. 

The hospital during the days of conflict furnished 
an experience not found elsewhere. Much us men 
laugh and jest about it, none completed his arni}'^ 
life or really knew "suffering and sorrow" unless 
he spent at least one week in a northern hospital. 

Here you found angels by day (they did not ap- 
pear by night), sent out by the Christian commission, 
or some benevolent enterprise to wait on and minis- 
ter to our suffering boys, who, in the majority of 
cases, were mere l)oys, without experience or hard- 
ness, having entered the army under the pressure of 
the times ; hence when exposure came they knew 
not how to take care of themselves. Thousands died 
of homesickness, when one look from the face of 
wife, mother or sister would have saved them, but 
in most cases that could not bo, financial, family and 
other circumstances preventing. After the consoli- 
dation of our regirhent (first D. C. cavalry) with the 
Maine cavalry, I was assigned as orderly sergeant 
of company F, entered one engagement, and then 
was sent to the City Pomt hospital. 

1 was comfortably sick, or at least thought I was. 
(123) 



124 REMINISCENCES. 

But when the care and strain was removed, I found 
little ambition, energy or life left. Being assigned 
a cot and an attendant, I went to bed. At first the 
change from oat-sacks for a pillow, and boards, or 
oftener, the earth for a bed, was a delightful ex- 
perience. But before the first night had passed I 
longed for a place with the boys in the field. That 
bed made impressions that abide; and those attend- 
ants, profane, vulgar, triflors with human life. Oh, 
what serenes ! Angels all gone, sleep had taken its 

flight. 

" Sleep, gentle sleep, 
Nature's soft nurse, how have I frightened thee, 
That thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down; 
And steep my sense in forgetfulness ? " 

But it would not, could not come. 1 prayed in 
the spirit of Shakespeare: 

"Sleep, downy sleep! come, close mine eyes, 

Tired with beholding vanities; 
Sweet slumbers, come and chase away 

The toils and follies of the day." 

But it came not ! Before the second night came 
round I had secured permission to read; antl during 
the six weeks' stay 1 read the Bible through and 
made a comment on every chapter. Then came a 
sad experience as the result of these days, and 1 
heard it whispered, "he'll die." I saw comrade after 
comrade close his eyes in death to leave a poor 
emaciated body in the hands of reckless, thought- 
less, hardened boys, as a tool for sport and abuse; 
and wondered when my turn would come. 



A BED IN THE HOSPITAL. 125 

One morning after a wakeful night, exhausted, 
hungry, disgusted, and about ready to die, I heard 
a female voice calling for Sergeant West, from 
Maine. I waved the hand as best I could, and said, 
"Not West, but Bolton.'' 

She came to the cot with a sweet, heavenly face, 
as I then thought. Her touch seemed like that of an 
angel and I said: "Could you get anything to cat, 
cooked as our folks cook down in Maine V She went 
and socm returned with a plate full of doughnuts. 

Well, dare I make such a change in my diet; will 
not this kill me outright ? But I soon made the 
test and in the afternoon was bolstered up, washed 
and had my hair combed, which was no small under- 
taking — uiasmuch as it had become somewhat un- 
used to such treatment — and started north for home 
that evening. Home, care and food soon placed me 
on my feet again. I moved out among the people; 
was called upon to speak in some of the school-houses, 
and on the morning of the 15th of April, 1865, had 
occasion to take up arms in my own village. 

Oh, what a morning that was! Our president 
dead — fallen by the hand of a wicked assassin. It 
was a mercy that Lee surrendered and had his army 
paroled before the deed was done, for such feelings 
never filled true hearts before. Believing as we did 
then, that it was the last stroke of the dying mon- 
ster we had been fightmg, wo wished the surrender 
had not been. We wished to fight longer; a feeling 
that few of the survivors have now. The most of n§ 



126 REMINISCENCES. 

got enough. But wc soon learned who it Was thai 
did the deed, and were ghid it did not come from 
those men who had been treated so magnanimously 
by our heroic conunander, Gen. Grant. Walking 
down the streets of Newport, Maine, we were greet- 
ed with all kinds of salutations, such as "Too bad, 
that spods all; what shall we do?" 

"I wish I had done it, I'm glad of it !" shouted a 
burly, rough peddler, as he hauled up his lines in 
front of the depot. 

The words had scarcely left his lips before a soldier 
struck hnn, knocked him off his cart, and others 
rushin": to the aid of the soldier brought a rail se- 
lected with s])ec!al reference to sharpnes.-. and abund- 
ance of splinters, and soon the traitorous braggart 
found hunself ridmg through the streets borne by 
loyal men. Many others were made to take the 
oath of allegiance or share the same fate. 

The next day I started back, though far from be- 
ing well, and on reaching Philadelphia was ordei'ed 
to report for examination. I was sent to the hospi- 
tal again and there remained until July 12th, when 
I was discharged and mustered out of the service. 
Here I found a dificrent spirit. The hospital was a 
center of power for good, and the citizens took great 
interest in the welfare of those who tarried with 
them. The memory of those days brings noth- 
ing but kind words for the churches, homes and in- 
stitutions visited during the three months of my 
stay in that city. 



MUSTERED OUT. 



Buried the past, we will toil to adorn 
Freedom's domain for a nation unborn, 

And when we fall, this our solace shall be. 
Over us floats the dear flag of the free. 

— Unknown. 



(CXXVIII."' 



CHAPTER XVI. 

MUSTERED OUT. 

From the day of Lee's surrender there was joy in 
all the the land until Lincoln's assassination, which 
plunged millions into deep sorrow. Rallying fnmi 
this shock, the soldiers looked forward to the day 
\Yhen they should bo mustered out of the service, 
paid ofl", and return home. 

Then came the discussion of many important ques- 
tions, and a deep, impassable gulf between intimate 
and tried friends. The officers found receptions too 
large for any building in native village or city, while 
the private soldiers wended their way home un- 
noticed and unattended. A few" personal friends 
met them as they dropped off' one by one at stations 
along the road. 

The merry songs and hearty good-byes caused 
much merriment for the passengers w^ho watched the 
little squad of vets. 

"Good-bye, Jim, no more hard tack for you, old 
fellow." 

"Well, I don't know, I may have to do up the 
crumbs for dinner, unless I catch old Brown, and get 
a ride in from the depot. Mercy knows I am sick of 
(129) 



130 REMINISCENCES. 

these here things, for I'll bet I've chewed up enough 
of 'cm to shingle the Avhole town, church and all." 

''Well Bob, I wish I was as near home as you are; 

but this train don't go any farther than tonight, 

and I have got to loaf around toAvn all night." 

"Oh, no, go to the liotel, I would if it took the 
last penny." 

"Well , I have got just enough saved lo pay ofi 
the mortgage on the farm, and Maria has kept things 
running for four years now. No, I'll camp down in 
the station and save the two dollars." 

Thus thousands and hundreds of thousands 
wended their way back into the civil walks of 
life during the spring and sununer of 1805. Many 
of the citizens feared that these men, so long 
shut out from the society of home, school 
and church, would continue to practice the tricks, 
games and devices of their camp life. Warn- 
ings were sent out all over the country ; but 
our men were not in the army because they enjoyed 
that kind of life, but to put down the rebellion, and 
when it ended their army life ended, and they en- 
tered at once into the circles of the civilian, to take 
up the work they left, with an experience of real 
value. They had seen life ui a broader and more 
sacred sense, had taken on a self-reliance and dash 
that soon made them leaders in their neighborhoods, 
villages and cities. 

But there came an experience few have any con- 
ception of, unless they are discharged soldiers. The 



GETTING HOME. ISJ 

world hiid taken a long stride, the boy of 21 was 
now 26, and he had been in school while the soldiers 
were in camp or on the march. He had established 
himself in business, and durin^o^ the days of unpar- 
alleled prosperity had made a fortune, while the sol- 
dier had barely held his own. 

So the soldier returned to find himself and his 
little family (or his sweetheart) distanced by the 
years and their gifts to others. The wages had 
passed from $.75, $1, $2.50, to $3 and $5 per day; 
but the soldier could not take the advance, for his 
absence liad made way for others to become experts 
in the mechanical arts. This was the trial of his 
life. He had been brave, suflered uncomplainingly. 
No army ever left such homes, comforts, lu.xuries, 
and advantages as did the army of the North. No 
army ever suflered more from exhaustion, exposure 
and inexperienced officers, and now to be snubbt d, 
passed by and left, by those for Avhom they had 
suffered, was often almost unendurable. It scat- 
tered the disbanded army throughout the length and 
breadth of our land, until the percentage of returned 
soldiers m the newly settled villages and cities of 
our far west was very large. This doubtless was a 
good result, though severe discipline. The perse- 
cution of the saints did more to carry the gospel of 
Jesus into all the world than any one thing in the first 
century. And I doubt not that the scattering of the 
Union army had done much towards developing the 
vast resources of wealth in this great western world. 



132 REMINISCENCES. 

They could not with self-respect listen to the 
murmuring tax payers of the East, who accumulated 
their wealth, while the soldier made it possible for 
them to enjoy their prosperity. Oh how easy it is 
for men to forget their indebtedness to others for 
what they enjoy. Could they have seen their neigh- 
bors and classmates sleeping on the frozen earth, 
while the cold winds swept over their uncovered 
forms, or visited them while marching barefooted 
over thel.thorny ways, or lying l)ctwecn contending 
armies for days, with broken arms and legs, without 
food or drink to cool their burning and parched 
lips; while the hot sunl)urncd ther upturned and un- 
protected faces, no physician or chaplain allowed to 
visit them, no one to care for their festering wounds, 
they would have felt differently toward them. But 
the soldiers seldom refer to what they suffered. 
Nay, they suflfered uncomplainingly and stand out 
in honor when compared with that class of com- 
plaining men who revile the best government on 
God's green earth, because they are obliged to pay 
a paltry tax on the luxuries no other land ever gave. 

'In patience, then, posess thy soul. 
Stand still, for while the thunders roll. 
Thy Saviour sees thee through the gloom, 
And will to thy assistance come; 
His love and mercy will be shown 
To those who trust in him alone." 




COL. HENRY CRIBBEN 



Friend! wilt thou give me shelter here?" 
The stranger meekly said. 

— Whittier. 



[ CXXXIV ) 



CHAPTER XVII. 

ESCAPE FROM PRISON, 

COLONEL HENRY CRIBBEN'S NARRATIVE. 

From a detailed account of Capture, Imprisonment 
and Escape, written by Colonel Henry Gribben, of 
Chicago, at the request of his old comrades, I am 
permitted to print what follows, which gives an idea 
of what was endured by many of our country's de- 
fenders who were so unfortunate as to fall into the 
enemy's hands, and yet so fortunate as to make their 
escape from the horrors of the Southern prison pens, 
and work their way back again to the Union lines. 

After his capture in June, 1864, in Virginia, Col- 
onel Cribbcn was taken first, to Libby Prison, then, 
in succession, to Macon, Savannah, Charleston, 
Columbia — "Sorghum prison" — and, finally, to a 
camp near Charlotte, S. C, from which, by bribing 
the guard, he, with several others, was permitted to 
escape. The extract from the Colonel's narrative 
begms with their imprisonment near Charlotte : 

When some miles south of Charlotte in the morn- 
ing of February 11th, we were unloaded and put into 
a field surrounded by woods on three sides. A "dead 
line" and a guard line were staked out, and a ration 
(135) 



136 KEMINISUENCES. 

of large, hard biscuit was issued to us — the first and 
last we saw in Dixie. The guard was extended for 
wood that afternoon into the timber beyond the creek 
from which we secured our water. 

This creek ran through a deep cut with high, per- 
pendicular l)anks, for some distance covered with 
thick underbrush, and when the guards were drawn 
in, at least fifty or more were in hiding along the banks 
of the creek in the deep cut, and during the night got 
away. On reaching prison with my load of wood I 
started to the creek for water while my comrades 
built the fire. I there found my old friends at "Sor- 
ghum" on guard. They said they had left Columbia 
in such a hurry and without rations, that they were 
both hungry, and asked me if I could get them some- 
thing to cat. I told them 1 thought I could, and 
would bring it out to them. I got some corn bread 
and an onion, which they divided between them. 
They thanked me, and asked me if I still wanted to 
go home as bad as ever. I told them I did; and they 
told me to be on the lookout between 10 and 12 
o'clock that night at that point with my partner, 
Captain Stevens, of the40thN. Y. At the appointed 
time we went to the creek for water and asked one of 
them if it was all right; he said he Avould ask his 
partner, who was then approaching. They met and 
talked a moment; they told me when they met again 
and turned their backs on each other, if there was no 
one there getting water, to move quietly across the 
creek into the woods. When they again met and 



THE START. 137 

turned to leave each other, one of them said '\^o," 
and wo went for the woods and struck off in a north- 
westerly dh'ection by starlight. 

During the night we met quite a number of those 
who got away in the afternoon, and Captain Poole, 
of the 122d N. Y., Lieutenant J. C. Clark, of a 
Massachusetts regiment, and a Captain of a West 
Virginia cavalry regiment joined our party. We 
kept on through the woods in a northwesterly direc- 
tion during the night, following a line between the 
North and West star, and, on the appearance of day- 
light, filed into the woods and lay down; the weather 
being clear and cold. We were awakened by the sun 
shining in our faces, got up, moved still farther into 
the timber, and slept the most of the day. About 1(> 
that night we again started on our journey, anddur 
ing the night we struck the old deserted plank road 
running from Columbia to Knoxville. We had 
traveled only a few miles when our comrade from 
West Virginia began to show signs of weakness, and 
wc carried him along, one on each side of him, hop- 
inoj he would soon regain his strenojth. He had been 
in prison some fifteen or sixteen months, and, neg- 
lecting to exercise, was in no condition to travel, 
and, finally, gave out from exhaustion, and we were 
obliged to leave him at the gate of a plantation, 
al)out 2 o'clock in the morning. We traveled riip 
idl}' until daylight, when we turned into the woods 
and went into camp for the day. Our food was being 
rapidly diminished, some of the party being entirely 



138 REMINISCENCES. 

destitute. I still had a small piece of corn bread 
and two onions; Poole being short, I divided with 
him ray corn bread, and he handed me his bone, of 
which, during the night before, he had promised to 
give me a bite in the morning. It was white as chalk, 
without a trace of meat thereon. 1 looked at him in 
astonishment, and asked him what he meant. He 
replied that I would find some very fine marrow in 
the shank. I returned him the bone and told him to 
keep it for his own use. So far we had a plentiful 
supply of water, but had no means of carrying any 
with us. We found no water in the vicinity of our 
camp during the day, and did not travel many miles 
the third night, when our thirst compelled us to 
look for water through the woods, but we failed to 
find an3^ We were compelled to drink the water 
out of the wagon tracks, l)y moonlight, they being 
well filled by the recent rains. We drank this water 
several times during the first two hours of our jour- 
ney, and it soon caused a feverish and weakening 
sensation, and I was soon exhausted, and sat down 
at the root of a tree to rest, and told the others to go 
on and I would overtake them when I felt better. 
They kept on their way. As I s;it there with my head 
agjiinst the tree in the beautiful moonlight I saw 
something glisten like a bright diamond among the 
trees on the opposite side of the road; this bright 
object would often disappear and then reappear as 
bright as ever. My curiosity was aroused, and when 
rested I went over, and as I approached the spot it 



FRIENDS IN NEED. 139 

disappeared again. I was standing on the edge of a 
deep hole in the woods, the bottom of which was 
covered with black dirt and leaves. I stood there 
waiting the return of my phantom diamond which 
soon appeared, and proved to be a large body of 
snow beneath the dirt and leaves in the hole. I at 
once cleaned off the dirt and leaves and took out 
some nice clean snow and began to eat it with a rel- 
ish. It put new life into me. I made a large snow- 
ball and started on my journey to overtake my com- 
rades, whom 1 found lying in the corner of a rail 
fence at the roadside, two of them being asleep; and 
Stevens, on guard. I divided my snowball with him, 
and he agreed if I would find a house he would ask 
the people for something to eat. 

1 moved up the road only a short distance from 
where they lay and found a trail crossing the road, 
which I followed, and soon came in sis:ht of a los: 
cabin in the hollow. As I approached the house 
a dog came out from under the house to greet me; at 
the same moment a head appeared at the door and 
asked : 

"Who's dar?" 

Recognizing the voice as that of a colored woman, 
I replied: 

"One of Massa Lincoln's soldiers, very hungry; 
can you give him something to eat?" 

She said: "Come in quick, honey, while I blow 
out the light." 

I advanced cautiously, and found two colored 



140 REMINISCENCES. 

women, to whom I quickly told my story, and they 
said: 

"Go fetch 'cm quick, afore the men folks come 
home. " 

It proved to be a boarding house for colored men 
who worked in a foundry, running night and day, 
about two miles from the house. 

On my return I found all three asleep in the fence 
corner, and hurisied them to the house, where Ave 
found two large platters filled with hoe-cake and a 
plate of fried bacon awaiting us on the table. While 
we were engaged in devouring the hoc-cake and ba- 
con five of the hoarders appeared on the scene. They 
were stalwart slaves, and when told that we had 
eaten up all the cooked victuals in the house, said 
they could get along until breakfast; and one of 
them went with us to the settlement to get some food 
to take along with us. He got us a loaf of rye and 
Indian bread and some three pounds of raw pork. 
One old colored lady said she had no meat, but she 
had some right nice cracklins, and we could take 
them along. They proved to be a small bag full of 
pork tryings, which were to us quite a delicacy for 
the next three days. We got provisions enough to 
carry us to Marion, N. C, where we had our stores 
again replenished by the negro village blacksmith 
and his son-in-law. It was very near daylight as we 
approached the town, and the dogs in the village 
located in the neighborhootl came out into the road, 
upon our approach, and seemed determined to pre- 



IT WAS NOT APPLEJACK. 141 

vent us from going into the village. We took to 
the woods and the dogs after us for some distance, 
when they gave up the chase. It was the Sabbath 
day, and our camp in the woods lay near a path 
loading across the country, and a number of white 
people and negroes passed during the day going 
to and coming from church. Captain Stevens was 
on picket, and seeing a lone negro coming across the 
country, hailed him; but, being suspicious, he could 
not be induced to enter the woods. So Stevens went 
out and made himself known to him, and he agreed 
to bring us some provisions that night, and also 
bring his father-in-law. They appeared shortly after 
dark with a basket of eatables. One of the first arti- 
cles they took out of the basket was a black bottle 
well filled, as we supposed, with apple-jack. Poole 
seized the bottle, drew the cork and put it to his 
mouth to take a drink, when he began to spit it out 
on the ground. We asked him in a whisper what it 
was (we dare not speak in a loud tone of voice for 
fear of discovery); he replied, "sorghum molasses." 
They brought us food enough for supper and suffi- 
cient for the folloAving day, and after we ate our sup- 
per the young man escorted us around the town and 
put us on the road. We thanked him, and told him 
he would soon be free, as President Lincoln had so 
declared in his Emancipation proclamation. The 
night was cold and clear, the roads fairly good. We 
got over the ground rapidly, and when we went into 
camp in the morning, felt we had made about 25 



142 REMINISCENCES. 

miles. Wc postponed our l)reakfast to as late an 
hour as possible so our provisions would tide us over 
until the following night. When night came wc 
started out early and traveled steadily all nigiit 
without accident, and turned into the woods on the 
first appearance of daylight, weary and wet, as we 
had traveled in water running in the road for an 
hour or more. It was a clear, cold morning. The 
soles were worn ofT my shoes, which were wrapped 
in rags to prevent the sand and gravel from working 
into my feet, Avhich were becoming soro from travel- 
ing over the wet road. We lay down and were soon 
asleep; when wc w^cre awakened by the heat of the 
sun 1 found the rags on my feet a mass of ice and 
the feet inside badly frozen. During the day we 
fasted, having eaten the last morsel of food the night 
before, which was anything but a satisfactory por- 
tion to a hungry man destined to travel all night 
over a very rough and rugged road. As we were 
now approaching the mountains, we decided to find 
food before starting on our journey that night, let 
the consequences be what they would. 

The negroes of the South have a peculiar signal 
for advertising or notifying their friends of their 
movements, or time for starting for any special 
gathering, such as sorghum bailings, dances, or 
meetings of any kind. When going through the 
woods they would sing "Kahay, Kahaya.-' Hear- 
ing the signal very close l)y, we started in search of 
the negro, hoping to reach him before he met his 



UNWELCOME GUESTS 143 

friends, and induce him to get us something to eat. 
We were gaining on him in the woods, but on leav- 
ing the timber he started across a Held filled with 
In-ush-heaps and was fast reaching the house in the 
clearing, the light of which we saw ahead of us, 
I)iit before we could overtake our supposed negro 
friend, the door opened and two ladies came walking 
towards us saying, "Good evening" to the party in 
our front. When they met us they seemed very 
much terrified, and ran back to the house. Wc 
followed quickly, Chirk acting as guard at the front 
door and Poole at the back door, Stevens and myself 
going into the house to negotiate for something to 
eat. Each of our party carried a stafT seven feet 
long and about two inches in diameter at the butt 
end. We found tlie occupants to be an old gen- 
tleman, his wife and iT-y ear-old son, whom we had 
been following through the woods and brush, and 
the two young ladies who had run at our approach. 
We asked if they would kindly furnish us supper, 
offering to pay them lil)orally for it. He asked us 
who we were; we told him. He replied that he was 
very sorry for us, but could not or would not feed 
the enemies of his country. We tried to reason with 
him, but all to no purpose. Wc then told him if he 
did not furnish it for us wc should be compelled to 
take it, if it was in the house. His wife, who had 
not spoken since our arrival, called him to the cor- 
ner in which she was sitting and induced him to 
furnish us something to eat. He asked the number 



14i REMINISCENCES. 

of our party. We increased the number to eight. 
He looiied very anxiously at a squirrel rifle hanging 
over my head and then looked at the stafl" in my 
hand. He was told not to think of securing the 
rifle or the cfibrt might cost him his life. When 
supper was prepared Clark and Poole went to sup- 
per while Stevens and myself remained on guard 
over the old gentleman, his son and the two young 
ladies. After supper they gave us food for the 
imaginary four, who were supposed to be in the 
woods near the creek across the road, and we re- 
quested him to go with us to that point, which was 
the i)lacc where we left the road that morning, and 
sec our friends, which he willingly agreed to. When 
wc reached the creek our friends could not be found, 
and vvc went up the road in search of them. On 
taking leave of our host he said he should inform 
the authorities of our presence in the neighborhood 
on the following day. Wo asked how far he would 
have to travel for that purpose, and he replied ten 
miles in the direction we had come. We told him 
not to make the attempt until after daylight, as a 
large number of our men, some of whom were 
armed, were following us to the mountain, and if he 
should fall into their hands they would take liim 
through to our lines, if he did not lose his life. He 
said he would not start until after breakfast. We 
thanked him for his kindness and gave him $350.00 
in Confederate money for the food he furnished, and 
started on our journey. 



FORAGING PARTIES. 145 

We soon reached the l):ise of a low range of 
mountains. On reaching the top we found the 
ground covered with at least 10 or 12 inches of snow; 
but not frozen hard enough to bear our weight, antl 
we broke through at every step. We found here 
quite a settlement. The noise started the dogs to 
barking and they made a terrible fuss about our 
presence in the neighborhood. We got behind trees 
and remained there until the dogs retired. When 
quiet was again restored we began a Hanking move- 
ment to the right, traveling raid-way of the hill that 
surrounded the farming land which was free from 
snow. The country at this point seemed to be alive 
with foraging parties gathering supplies for the rebel 
government. Having had a full meal for supper and 
enough food for breakfast, we had decided to make 
the extra meal secured carry us through to the next 
night. We went for quite a while at about a five 
mile pace, when suddenly we heard voices in our 
front coming towards us; we stampeded into the 
woods, each one getting behind a tree to let them 
})ass. They proved to be white and black teamsters 
with their mules, and their loud talk and the noise 
of their trace chains prevented them from hearing 
us running through the dry leaves in the woods. 
The second morning after leaving our host at the 
creek we filed into the woods with empty havre-sacks 
and lay down to sleep. When night came hunger 
compelled us to seek food again before starting on 
our journey. Our camp in the woods overlooked a 



146 REMIMSCENCES. 

number of farm houses in the valley below which 
had been watched closely during the day, and we 
selected a house where only women were seen mov- 
ing about. As we approached the house, which was 
set up on short pieces of saw-logs, a large hound 
came out from underneath to dispute our passage 
and we prepared to give him a Avarni reception with 
our poles, when the door opened and a female 
voice asked, who was there, and what wo wanted. 
Capt. Stevens replied that we ^vere hungry and 
wanted something to eat. She told us to come in, 
ordered the dog off, and, when the candles were 
lighted, four ragged, hungry officers of the Union 
army were looking into the eyes of the first white 
friends of the (Jnion we had met on the journey. 
They were mother and daughter, whose names 1 
have forgotten, my diary kept on the road being lost 
after I had returned home. 

We were soon seated at the table spread with cold 
ham, warm potatoes, good bread and butter, pre 
serves, and coffee made of rye. While eating supper 
the rain began to fall in torrents, and they insisted 
upon our sleeping in the house over night, or until 
the rain ceased. We refused to do so, knowing if 
we were discovered it would bring them into trouble, 
their neighbors being arch-rebels, but tt)ld them we 
would sleep in the barn until the rain subsided, and 
for fear of being detected on their premises we 
would go into the woods in the morning, and they 
could send out something for us to eat. We started 



FRIENDS OF THE UNION. 147 

for the woods at daylight. It wus still raining. Our 
breakfast Avas sent in a basket, and wc sat tlown at 
the root of a large tree and ate it with a relish. 
Some three miles distant lived an uncle of the 
younger lady who had brought our breakfast into 
the woods, and seeing our condition she said she was 
going after her uncle, John Williams, who, she 
thought, could do something to help us. We pro- 
tested against her going in the rain, but she would 
not listen to our advice, and started at once through 
the woods. Being on picket, I was on the lookout 
for their return. I saw them coming at a distance. 
They left the path before reaching me and stai'ted 
for the spot where she had left us some four hours 
before. My companions were sleeping in the rain, 
and not wanting to wake them I tried to head vhem 
off, but failed. They reached the spot before \i did; 
and seeing my companions sleeping in a knitting 
posture at the base of a large tree the man £,/.opped 
short, joined his hands together in the attirade of 
prayer, and looking up into the heavens sai<:^; 

"O Lord, my God, look with mercy u/zon these, 
my countrymen, who, for doing their J.aty in de- 
fense of their country, are hunted through the woods 
like wild beasts." And the tears ran down his 
cheeks like rain. 

It was agreed to go to his house after dark and he 
would have supper ready for us on our arrival. He 
agreed to have his lantern burning on the porch of 
his house. To reach the house we were to cross a 



148 REMINISCENCES. 

mill-race on a foot-bridge with a single hand rail; 
and when I crossed I looked in the dark for the rail, 
lost my balance and fell mto the water. They fished 
me out quickly and we were soon inside the house 
before a cheerful tire, where 1 remained imtil my 
clothing was thoroughly dry. After supper, the 
rain having ceased, we decided to continue our 
journey, and Mr. John Williams saddled his horse 
to take us around the town of Morgantown. We 
got fairly started when the rain poured down in 
sheets, and he turned around, halted at the door of 
his house and told us to enter quick, as he would 
not turn a dog out in such a night as that. He had 
beds made up for us, but we refused to sleep in his 
house, but told him we could make ourselves very 
comfortable in his hay-mow until the storm was over. 
He went out and pitched up the hay from the center 
of the mow, making a snug place for us to rest, 
where we remained four nights, during which time 
it rained incessantly. He brought us a basket of 
food every morning and evening during our stay, 
and visited with us daily. The fifth night we started 
again, accompanied by Mr. Williams. The rain had 
softened the ground so as to make it unsafe for him 
to ride his horse in the darkness, and we insisted 
upon his returning home, Avhich he did very reluct- 
antly. We soon came to a school house where a 
meeting of some kind was being held; we left it in 
our rear and struck out for the road. About the 
time we reached the road the meeting adjourned and 



A CONFEDERATE CAPTAIN. 149 

a number of those who were in attendance started 
home on the road in our rear. We went quickly 
into a yard close to a house and lay down in the 
corner of a tight board fence until they passed. This 
was a very windy night and I began to feel sick 
from the exposure of the last twenty days in the 
month of February and March. The mud being 
very deep, I felt it working in at the bottom of my 
shoes and working out over the top, which was any- 
thing but pleasant to a sick person. With my teeth 
set in my head, I was fully determined to follow my 
comrades or die in the attempt. We started early 
that night and had not got far from the village when 
we came to a house situated some distance back from 
the road with the door open, a fire burning on the 
hearth and a man seated at the table eating his sup- 
per. We moved by with as little noise as possible, 
and when we cleared the house by some 100 yards 
we began to run in the mud very nearly ankle deep. 
W^e kept it up until exhausted. In passing we saw 
the man at the table turn his head to look at us. 
He finished his supper and followed and caught up 
with us where the road ran through a heavy wood. 
Not being able to keep pace with my comrades I 
was bringing up the rear, and hearing tramp, tramp, 
in the mud behind 1 called the attention of the others 
to the fact that some one was coming. We con- 
cluded to face the music and see who it was. It 
proved to be Capt. John Fletcher of the 39th North 
Carolina going home to Ashville, N. C, on a leave 



150 REMINISCENCES. 

of absence from Gen. Lee's army. He asked me 
where we were going and I replied to Kutlierforton. 
He said we were not on the road to that phicc, and 
he did not beheve we wanted to go there; he also 
said he knew who we were, and as far as he was 
concerned he was disposed to help us on oiu" way 
over the mountains, and said he had met three of 
our comrades who had been recaptured that night 
going back to prison under guard. When we were 
satisfied that we could trust him, we told him the 
route we mtended to take over the mountains, and 
he told us we would certainly be captured, as all the 
gaps m that neighborhood were guarded. He ad- 
vised us to Gfo farther to the rio-ht and cross over 
Indian Grove or Swinge Cat Gaps, and said we had 
a straight road after crossing Muddy river, which 
lay about six miles to our right from the four corners 
which we would soon reach on the road. 

When we reached the corners he said he would 
go with us to Muddj' river, as it was badly swollen 
and hard to cross, and he knew of a bridge which it 
would be difficult for us to find in the dark. As we 
traveled along the road the dogs came out to meet 
us, and the rebel captain would drive them off and 
often go into the houses and ask for information 
while we kept moving along the road. Being a good 
traveler, he would socn overtake us, and we finally 
reached the river. It was full to overflowing and 
could not be forded. Ho led us down the left bank 
somethinc: like a mile or more and found the bridsre 



THROUGH THE MUD. 151 

with the approach from oar side washed away. He 
forded into the stream up to his arm-pits and found 
strips of board nailed to the trestle, which was used 
as a hidder for getting to the top of the bridge. He 
climl)ed to the top and we soon followed. After 
crossing to the other side he bade us good-bye, took 
the address of each of our party and told us he 
would be obliged to go to the point where the roads 
crossed to get on the one leading to his home at 
Ashville. We returned to him our sincere thanks 
for his kindness. He asked us if we intended to 
rejoin our commands on our return home. We 
told him we did, and he then said he would feel 
fully compensated for his trouble if, in case he was 
captured by any of us as a prisoner of war, if we 
would treat him as a man; saying our treatment by 
the Confederate government was inhuman and a dis- 
grace to civilization. Each of us assured him of 
humane treatment in case of capture by any of us, 
and he bade us good-bye, going back over Muddy 
river and the very muddy road over which we had 
come. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

COL. cribben's narrative continued. 

Shortly after starting we found the commissary 
agents with their wagons in camp near the roadside 
in a field. We flanked them to the right, and 
when we had traveled a few miles further, went 
into camp in the woods, being well supplied with 
food by Mr, Williams the night before. My com- 
rades fjircd sumptuously on the following day and 
started out early on the following night. About 
midnight of March 6th we reached the Cahawba 
river, which we were to cross near the entrance of 
Buck creek. The stream being badly swollen and 
the water very cold, the ice running in the stream, 
we forded the river with our underclothing on our 
persons and carrying our outside clothing on our 
heads. On reaching the opposite side we wrung out 
our under garments and put them on again Avith the 
dry clothing on the outside, found the road leading 
from the ford and started on. About a mile from 
where we crossed, the road forked to the right and 
left, the left road leading across a large and turbu- 
lent stream, the right running at the base of one of 
the Buck mountains, and we decided to take the 
(153) 



154 llEMINIf^CENCES. 

rojid leading to the right. In less than two miles 
distant \vc came to a river, deep and wide, and could 
find no fording place. After repeated failures to 
cross we went into camp in the woods near the 
stream so as to locate the ford should anyone cross 
during the next day. It began rainmg very hard, 
and our inside clothing being wet from fording: the 
stream, our outside clothing, which we had taken 
pains to keep dry, was fast becoming soaked. We 
selected a spot, spread our blanket and were <ligging 
a trench to carry off the water at our heads and on 
each side, when Stevens, who was also looking for a 
spot, claimed we did not have fall enough to carry 
off the water where we were, and that he had found 
just the place we needed; so we moved about 100 
feet further into the woods. We lay down, and my 
companions, worn out with fatigue, were soon asleep. 
I was feeling quite sick. The pains in my bowels 
increasing rapidly, I could not sleep. While lying 
there awake, a loud crash was heard close l)y which 
brought all of us to our feet. Not a word escaped 
our lips for a minute or more, when Stevens whis- 
pered, "What is it?" I said it was a tree close by 
that had fallen with the wind and the weight of the 
rain. Wo started out to look for the cause of our 
disturbance and found nearly one-half of the large 
oak, under which we fnst spread our blankets, cov- 
ering the ground. Wo all had a very narrow escape 
from death, or from being maimed for life. We 
thanked Providence that we had allowed the judg 



A NARROW ESCAPE, 155 

mcnt of Capt. Stevens to prevail in this case. We 
got warm by running around a large oak tree to get 
our blood in circulation, and then moved into the 
mountain and concluded to build a fire, which was 
the first, although wo had then been on the road 23 
days. When the fire was built and the necessary 
wood secured it was daylight, and 1 lay down. For 
the first time my companions seemed to think I was 
really sick. They built a shelter with my wet thread- 
bare blankets close to the fire, wrapped me in the 
other two wet blankets and I lay there with my feet 
in the ashes. I was a very sick man, and told them 
if 1 did not get help they must leave me at some 
house in the neighborhood, and when they got 
through — which 1 knew they would, as they were 
then only about 90 miles from our troops on the 
French Broad river in Tennessee — to write to my 
family and tell them they had left me at the junction 
of the Buck creek with the Cahawba river. They 
went to work and made red pepper tea and gave it 
to me to drink. It was so hot it blistered my mouth 
and throat, but brought no relief. They renewed 
their efforts Avith a fresh dose of the same medicine, 
only stronger than the first, but I could not retain 
it on my stomach. While lying there suficring 1 
heard a strange voice talking to my comrades near 
by, and I got up, sick as I was, to see who it could 
be. It proved to be a negro, whose master had seen 
the smoke of our fire curling up over the trees on 
the top of the mountain. Having never known 



156 REMINISCE NLCES. 

what it was to be sick since I was old eriou<::h to 
remember, I was in hopes the fire and pepper tea 
would bring me around all right, but I was dis- 
appointed. After dark they carried mc down 
the mountain to the house of the negro's master, who 
proved to be a rebel deserter. They made a bed for 
mo on the floor, with my feet against the fire, Capt. 
Stevens acting as nurse. Here 1 was given more 
red pepper tea, black pepper tea, sweet flag tea, and 
final I)', ctistile soap tea ! After supper Poole and 
Clark remained in the dining-room to entertain our 
host and his two daughters, while Capt. Stevens 
and the negro acted as nurses for the sick. They 
decided to remain over night on my account, our host 
agreeing to pilot them to a Union man's house over 
the mountains the following day. We Avcre all to 
sleep in the room in which I lay. When bed time 
arrived Poole and Clark stopped on their way to 
their corner on the floor to ask me how I felt. I told 
them unless I could find relief of some kind very 
soon I did not think I could live until morning. 
This statement startled Capt. Poole and he got down 
on the floor alongside of me and felt of my pulse, 
put his hand on my forehead, pronounced mo a 
very sick man, and asked Stevens "what he had done 
for mc. He told him. They then got my feet into 
a dish of scalding hot water and kept them there for 
25 minutes or more. My friends, Poole and Clark, 
then for the first time realized that I was sick, and 
Poole remarked it was inflammation of the bowels. 



HEROIC TREATMENT. 157 

Ho said that he had read medicine before he went 
iiito the army and knew of something that would 
help me, but possibly, kill me, and it was something 
that couki bo got in any part of this country, I told 
him to try it and I would take my chances, as I 
would siu'oly die before morning unless something 
was done to bring relief. He then told me it Avas 
the external application of spirits of turpentine to 
my bowels, and he woke up our host and his two 
daughters and asked them if they had the turpentine 
in the house. They replied in the negative. When 
the case was explained to them the man went to one, 
and the two girls to another neighbor's in search of 
the turpentine; Poole in the meantime searching 
every cupboard and closet in the house for the arti- 
cle. Not finding it he came into the room whore 1 
lay and got a chair and went hunting about the room 
near the ceiling, where he at last found a bottle 
hanging in the corner covered with cobwebs, took 
it down and found it to bo spirits of turpentine. He 
at once set to work to apply it externally, rubbing 
it in with his hands. I yelled with pain, and thought 
he was rubbing mo with a brick, and told him not 
to kill me, but to rub it in with his hands. He 
rubbed in all there was in the bottle — about a pint — 
and I could perceptibly feel it passing through my 
system and along my spine. Immediately after the 
application I went to sleep. When I awoke in the 
morning I found the inflammation broken up in small 
square blocks, where before it was one solid mass. 



158 RExAlINISCENCES. 

When l)rcakfast \r:is ready my companions sat down 
to the tabk', mine being sent to the room iu which I 
lay. It was very inviting, l)ut I could not touch it. 
1 sipped a little of the coti'ee, made of rye, and sent 
it back. When breakfast was over they started on 
their journey, leaving me behind with our host, who 
[)romised them to send me forward by easy marches, 
when al)le to travel, through Union men, who were 
to be found all along- the route. 

Immediately on their di>parturc the colored man 
came into my room to look after my comfort and 
replenish the fire. I asked where my comrades were. 
He said they were gone, and I was to follow when 1 
was able. I told him I was very thankful to his 
master, his family and himself for their kindness to 
mc, but I was determined to follow m}' comrades. 
Seizing my stafl', which was standing against the 
wall, I started, the negro accompanying mo until we 
came in sight of my compruiions, who were climbing 
up the mountain. With my jaws firmly set I began 
the ascent of th;! hill. Wiien my friends reached 
the top, one lo!)ked down and saw me struggling 
about half Wiiy up and s:it down and waited for me. 
I sat down with them. It was a bright morning, and 
the sun, which had been hidden for days, camo out 
in all its glory. They tried to prevail on mo to re- 
turn, telling mo Avhat our host agreed to do for me; 
but I insisted I was well enough to travel, and would 
try hard to keep up and not retard tluMr progress. 
If I. was unal>lo to continue they could go on and 



TRAVELING UNDER DIFFICULTIES. 159 

leave me, but I could not think of stopping with our 
friend in a Rebel neis^hljorhood, he himself beinsr 
cjmpclled to hide in the mountains to prevent his 
capture, and not daring to show his face at home 
during daylight. 

When they saw I was determined to go we started 
down the side of the mountain. The first step 1 took 
downward I fell on my face in the bushes. I got up 
and made two more attempts and found it was im- 
possible for me to walk down hill, as my bowels 
seemed to want to leave my body every time my 
foot touched the earth. 

I concluded to try and roll down the mountain 
side. Placing both hands across my bowels to pre- 
vent them from getting away, I started to roll, and 
reached the bottom before my more fortunate com- 
panions. The guide pointed to the next hill we 
had to climb, and I started up slowly. Reaching the 
top, I sat down to rest for a few moments, and be- 
gan to roll again to the valley below, keeping ahead 
of my companions. 1 did this five consecutive times, 
when we reached the bridle path leading up Buck 
creek. At this place our guide left us and returned 
home. We then started for Mr. Elliott's home, some 
three miles up the ci'cek. The path was ascending 
for quite a distance, and I got along very comfort- 
ably. On reaching the top of the ascent, we were 
halted at the muzzle of a Sharp's rifle by a man 
coming from the opposite direction, who ordered one 
uf us to advance, Captain Stevens, still wearing his 



1 60 REMINISCENCES. 

shoulder-straps, i^oing forward,told him who wc were, 
lie then lowered his rilie and said wc eoiild all ad- 
vance. On taking my tirst step doAvn tlic incline I 
fell on my face. Captain Poole and Clark picked 
mc up, and taking nic by each arm helped me to the 
spot where the paity was standing. He proved to 
be a Union man going to mill with a grist, accom- 
panied l)y his wife and boy; the latter with the grist 
on the back of an ox. This man was armed with a 
Sharp's rifle, two Colt's revolvers in a belt, one on 
each hip, and a large knife in the center of his back. 
S(mic of the grists sent to this mill l)y Union men 
had been confiscated by the Kebels, and he was going 
to take a position in the woods within rifle range of 
the mill, and should they undertake to confiscate his 
grist they would pay the penalty. He told us of a 
path leading to Mr. Elliott's house through the field 
where we could travel on a level, and bo less liable 
to meet any person who Avould give the Rebels infor- 
mation of our presence in the valley. Wc reached 
Elliott's al)out 4: o'clock in the afternoon. He gave 
us a Avarm welcome. When he took my hand he 
looked at mc in amazement, I l)eing covered with 
mud, my eyes sunken in my head, and my Avcight 116 
pounds avoirdupois. Ho remarked that I looked like 
death on legs; that I must be a very sick man. 1 told 
him of my suflfering during the past week, and how 
1 had rolled down the mountain. He said we were 
in a safe place and had better remain Avitli him for a 
few days. I was agreed, provided he could induce 



A WARM WELCOME. 161 

the others to remain, which he succeeded in doing, 
and we were to rest for four or five days. 

When I got the mud scraped off my clothing and 
my face washed I felt refreshed. Mrs. Elliott got 
supper ready and we were about to go in the house 
when we saw the storm clouds gathering in the west, 
and, while watching them, we saw four horsemen ap- 
proaching. On reaching the stile on the west side of 
the house one of them dismounted, one of the others 
leadmg his horse around the base of the hill. The 
party proved to be Colonel Silvers, of the Rebel 
army, on his way to Marion to take the train. He 
had been home on a leave of absence from Hood's 
army, and the three men with him were his Rebel 
neighbors who were acting as his escort. When he 
approached the house with saber dragging at his heels 
and pistol at his belt we were staudmg in line in front 
of the house, and gave him a military salute, which 
he returned. Captain Stevens asked hun what 
regiment, and, as near as 1 can recollect, he replied, 
34th N. C, of General Hood's army. In return he 
asked Stevens what regiment we belonged to. 
Stevens replied, IGth Tenn., of General Lee's 
army; were prisoners at Johnson's Island, had made 
our escape, and were going home to Greenvdle. 
The color seemed to come and go in the Colonel's 
face, and not caring to question us farther, he asked 
if Mr. Elliott was about. Elliott was then caring: 
for his stock, and had not seen the Colonel. He came 
up smiling, extended his hand to the Colonel, who 



162 REMrNISCENCES. 

uskcd him if be could keep him and his friends over 
night. He said he was very sorry to say he could 
not; but his brother, Avho lived less than a mile down 
the creek, had ample accommodations, and Avould 
gladly entertain him and his friends. He started for 
the east gate and "\ve went to supper. Before Mr. 
Elliott joined us at the table, the Colonel called for 
him to come to him in the bushes midway between 
the house and gate. 1 could see them from my seat 
at the table. The Colonel seemed very much excited 
about something, and Mr. Elliott kept very cool. 
They soon parted, Mr. EHiott going to the rear of 
the pork house, where he began cutting wood. Not 
being able to cat anything, I sipped some coffee made 
of rye, left the table and went to see what the trouble 
was. He said we must get out of the valley that 
niirht. He related what the Colonel had said, viz: 
That we were not Confederates, but were the officers 
commanding a foraging party from General Gillam's 
command who were running horses and cattle into 
the Union lines, and who he supposed, were oper- 
ating on the main road Avhich he had left, and had 
come down Buck creek bridle path to avoid them. 
He said no doubt our men were then in camp close by 
in the Buck mountains. When Elliott found the 
Colonel took that view of the case he began to show 
great fear for his horses and cattle, and asked the 
Colonel to advise him what to do. It was decided 
by the two that instead of remaining with his brother 
they would get supper there and secure a guide and 



CIRCUMVENTING THE ENEMY 1G3 

go to Carson's mills, where a battalion of cavalry 
was stationed; then they would return by the main 
road and capture us. If we gave any signal or 
showed any resistance we were to be shot down like 
dogs. Mr. Elliott sent word to his brother to secure 
a reliable guide for the Colonel, one who would see 
to it that the Colonel and his party were well soaked 
in swimming the swollen waters of Buck creek, as 
they had to cross it three different times before 
reaching the mill at the ford. The wood he was 
cutting proved to be pitch pine for torches to be used 
on our journey that night over the Blue Ridge 
mountains. 

Mr. Elliott went into the house, put some hard 
boiled eggs and biscuit in his pocket, and when the 
Colonel was out of sight we started up the Blue 
Ridge mountain. On reaching the top we halted 
near a house or cabin, the rain pouring down in tor- 
rents. Elliott told us to remain there until he 
whistled. In a short time the whistle sounded, and 
two torches appeared in the darkness. As we ap- 
proached the rear corner of the cabin, out filed sev- 
enteen Rebel soldiers with their carbines in their 
hands. To say that we were surprised does not be- 
gin to express our feelings. We were astounded, 
and thought we bad been led into a trap. Tor a 
moment silence reigned supreme; neither party 
spoke a word, the two men holding the torches grin- 
ning with delight at our mutual surprise. One of 
the Rebels asked if wc were going home. Stevens 



1G4 REMINISCENCES. 

replied we were if we could get there, and asked 
where they Averc going. They replied : 

"We are going home to Georgia." 

They were all deserters from Vaughn's cavalry in 
East Tennessee, fourteen from one company and 
three from another, and were making their way 
home along the top of tlie Blue liidge. These 
deserters were in jeopardy in case the Colonel carried 
out his threat, as promised. This being the point 
where the bridle path leaves the main road on the 
top of Iho mountain, it became necessary for them to 
move to a safer place. Mr. Elliott took thorn in 
charge to lead them to an old deserted cabin higher 
up the mountain, while the man who lived in the 
cabin took us by torch light to the South Toe river. 

My sufferings durhig that journey would be diffi- 
cult for me to relate. Suffice it to say that I went 
through water, from knees to my waist, fourteen 
different times; and finally forded the South Toe 
river, a very rapid stream, with the water encircling 
my neck, and fine shore ice running in the stream; 
all of us being obliged to take a set with our fording 
poles before taking each stej) across the ford. 1 gave 
up to die on three different occasions on our way to 
the river, my comrades going on and leaving mo; 
but when they came to the crossing of a mountain 
stream they missed me and came back after rac. 
After crossing the river we traveled about half a mile 
to Mrs. Holt's house, her husband being a scout in 
our army operating in East Tennessee. When she 



FORDING THE RIVER. 165 

ascertained who we were she opened the door, bade 
us Avelcomc to her home,— wet and shaking with the 
cold, the water still runnmg from our clothing, — she 
threw light tuider wood on the large fire logs in the 
fireplace, and we were soon standing before a hot, 
blazing tire. We kept turning before that fire until 
we steamed dry. When dry, Mrs. Holt spread her 
feather bed before the fire for us to sleep on, and we 
immediately lay down and were soon asleep. About 
daylight I was awakened by a man shaking me, who 
said he wanted me to get up. I looked at him a mo- 
ment, and told hnn he was the ugliest looking man 
I ever beheld. He said he was as ugly as he looked, 
which we would find out in due time. I sat up and 
found Mrs. Holt gone, her children being still in 
bed. I also found our guide had gone. This man 
had a coonskin cap, using the head for a peak, and a 
shaggy beard that grew close to his eyes. In his 
hand he grasped a squirrel rifle, over his shoulder 
hung a powder horn, in his belt he carried two large 
revolvers and a huge knife in a leather case. I told 
him I was sick almost unto death, and if he would 
hand me my stafl' which stood in the corner I would 
get up. He was about to do as requested when Mrs. 
Holt appeared in the doorway with an armful of 
kindling wood. She called him by name, and bade 
him good morning, and I told him he was not quite 
as bad as he tried to make me l)elieve. He said our 
guide had gone to his house before daylight, and 
went direct to his father's house up the river and 



1G6 REMINISCENCES. 

sent him after us. We ate breakfast with Mrs. Holt, 
and started for his fatlier's house, our former guide 
notifying them of our coming. When we reached 
there breakfast was ready, and they insisted on our 
eating again. Here we met two brothers of the 
shaggy guide, one a Lieutenant in General Lee's 
army, the other a Sergeant in Colonel Silver's regi- 
ment. The Sergeant had deserted, and the Lieuten- 
ant was home on leave, and intended to stay. The 
brothers went with us to a Mr. Cox's on Crab Tree 
creek, a small settlement near North Toe river. 
We found the river very high and running wild. 
The boats in the neighborhood had been carried 
down the stream, and it was not safe for man or 
beast to cross at that time, so we decided to wait for 
the river to subside. Three days afterward we crossed 
it on horseback, swimming the animals through the 
rapid mountain torrent, and reached Dr. Ward's 
house that night for supper. After supper the Doc- 
tor secured a guide for us, and we traveled toward 
Greasy Cove, reaching that point about daylight. 
Wc slept during the day, and at 3 p. m. started on 
our journey, reaching Ward's Stand about 5 r. M., 
taking supper at the house of a miller near Shcrar's 
Cove, which was quite a large settlement of guer- 
rilhis. The majorit}^ of the male inhabitants were 
members of a guerrilla band of freebooters who 
jjlundered, rol)bed and often murdered their former 
friends and ncigh])ors who had the courage of their 
convictions and remained true to the Old Flag. 



A GUERILLA SETTLEMENT. 167 

From the miller's we went to a Mr, Holfs, a 
brother-in law of the lady we stopped with at the 
South Toe river. He was absent from home, being 
compelled to hide in the woods. We remained in 
his house over night and went into the woods the 
next morning at daylight. During the day Mrs. 
Holt sent word to her husband, and he piloted us 
that night within five miles of the French Broad 
river, where wc expected to strike our forces, who 
were up the valley securing supplies for the army 
operating in the vicinity of Knoxvillc. About noon 
of the following day we started under cover of the 
woods for Vcdder's Mills, where our troops were 
encamped, and where we arrived in the afternoon 
about 3 o'clock. 

Having reached the Union lines, it was not long 
before the Colonel was on his Avay home. The ac- 
count of his first meeting with his friends is interest- 
ing. He had thought to surprise them, and had not 
telegraphed that he was coming. He succeeded in 
surprising them somewhat more than he anticipated. 
He says : 

I reached Rochester, N. Y., a))out G a. m., March 
23, 1865. On my way home from the depot I met 
a man with whom I had been associated for fifteen 
years. I hailed him and bade him good morning; 
he returned the salutation. I asked after the health 
of a number of our former associates and others. I 
then asked after his father's, mother's and brothers' 
health, calling the brothers by name. He replied 



1*38 REMINISCENCES. 

they wore well. I asked him if he knew how my 
own fiimily was, he bein^^ quite well acquainted with 
them. He said: 

"Well now, my friend, if I knew who yon were 1 
might be able to tell you. You seem to know mc 
and my family, and a number of my associates, but 
I do not recollect you. Will you kindly tell me 
your name?" 

1 thought, "Can it be possible that I have so 
changed that this man does not know me," and re- 
mtirkcd : 

"1 am a soldier, and, like many others who, when 
out of sight, are soon forgotten by their former 
friends and associates," and throwing open my cav- 
alry overcoat — the collar being up behind and above 
my ears, the weather being quite cold — I said to him: 

"Do you know me now V 

He replied, "No, sir, I do not; and as far as for- 
getting the soldier is concerne(^, I certainly do not, 
for I had some warm friends who went into the 
army, one of whom was hung by the Rebel guerrillas 
near our lines in Tennessee while making his escape? 
from a Rebel prison, and his only crime was asking 
for something to eat. His Sero;eant was huno^ with 
him on the same tree." 

I remarked that that was a brutal murder, and 
asked him to give me the names of the parties, 
thinking I might know them, as I was acquainted 
with all the Rochester officers that were in our prison, 
and he mentioned my own name and that of Ser- 



NOT RECOGNIZED, 169 

geant James Benedict, of my regiment, "svho was 
captured with me at Cold Harbor, but whom I had 
not seen since I entered Libhy Prison, Avhen he was 
taken to Castle Thunder and from there to Ander- 
sonville. 

This was a surprise for me, surely, and I replied, 
calling him by name: 

"Your friend Cribben was not hung, as you say; 
but he was on the Tennessee line, was often hungry, 
and often asked for something to cat; but, for- 
tunately for him, never fell into the hands of the 
guerrillas," and rolling down my cavalry overcoat 
collar, I said: "You see before you all that is left of 
your friend Cribben." 

With eyes distended, he stared at me and said he 
had listened to my funeral sermon, preached by Dr. 
Raines at Alexander Street M. E. Church, only two 
weeks before; and, seeing some acquaintances com- 
ing toward us, he began to yell: 

"Say! hold on there! The dead is alive! Shake 
hands with my friend Harry." 

I shook his friends by the hand and excusing my- 
self, told them I must hurry home to my wife and 
children to inform them of my presence in the body. 

I called on my brother-in-law at his store, who 
went home with me. My wife was getting break- 
fast for my little boy and girl, preparatory to send- 
ing them to school. When we opened the kitchen 
door she had gone down cellar through a trap-door 
leading from the kitchen, and we waited for her 



170 REMINISCENCES. 

return. She soon appeared with a plate of bnttei 
in her hand. When she reached the lioor, my 
brother-in-law, standing in the door, said: 

"I told you I would bring Henry; I have got him 
this morning," and 1 stepped in and said good morn- 
ing, calling her by name; and the butter-plate went 
into the cellar, and she went into a heap on the 
floor, fainting awiiy. Lifting her up I laid her on a 
couch in the kitchen. She soon recovered, and the 
usual family greeting took phice, and the young 
widow of some four weeks had recovered her hus- 
band who was reported as being hung on the Ten- 
nessee line by the guerrillas, and I had the pleasure 
of reading my own obituaries published by the press 
of the city. 



G. A. R. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

ORGANIZATIONS AFTER THE WAR. 

A million of men with kindred experiences, stories 
and })urposes were not to remain in the midst of 
those who, for want of knowledge and experience, 
could not sympathize with them, without an organi- 
zation of their own. At first they met in conven- 
tions and campfires, where the old enthusiasm was 
rekindled with unique volumes of stories, recita- 
tions, reminiscences and prophecies. These meet- 
ings at once brought to light this fact — that these 
men had formed friendships as lasting as life, welded 
in the fire of battle and the furnace ofsuffering. 

The discussions of thinking men called attention 
to the responsibility of caring for the 350,000 graves 
then occupied by dead comrades. How should this 
be done ? Who should visit the lone graves so soon 
forgotten? Then came the discussion of political 
organization, which soon developed the fact that 
soldiers had political preferences that must be toler- 
ated, yea, respected. 

These discussions in some instances brought tem- 
porary feelinfjs of anger and malice among men who 
bad stood side by side in line of battle, for there 
(173) 



174 REMINISCENCES. 

were men whose political ambitions were so strong 
as to demand the patronage of companies, regi- 
ments, divisions, corps and armies. These things 
gave the veterans great trouble until in ISGG, April 
6th, the Grand Army of the Republic was organized 
at Si)ringfield, Illinois, and the first post mustered 
in at Decatur, Illinois. The Rev. Wm. G. Rut- 
ledge, late chaplain of the 14th Illinois infantry, had 
formed a strong attachment to Major Stephenson, 
of the same regiment, and often talked to him of 
the demand for such an organization, so that these 
sacred friendships could be perpetuated, memories 
cherished, and graves visited, orphans and widows 
of the deceased comrades cared for without the po- 
litical strife and bitterness incident. to party politics 
in a republic like ours. This has been, is, and Avill 
doubtless remain a non-partisan organization. Polit- 
ical questions are always ruled out of order in all 
our post gatherings or encampments. 

This is as it should be; for while a very large per 
cent, of the men now in the G. A. R. are Republicans, 
still there are many of our best members who affili- 
ate with other political parties. They were true to 
the union, fought bravely for the suppression of the 
rebellion, are true to our order, and therefore ought 
to have their feelings respected while in the post and 
encampment, state and national. 

Tiie declaration of principles as originally adopted 
gives a very concise idea of what the G. A. R. pur- 
posed to accomplish. 



THE G. A. R 175 

"The preservation of those kind and fraternal feel- 
ings which have bound together with the strong 
cords of love and aflfection the comrades in arms, of 
many battles, sieges and marches; to make these ties 
available in works by helping those who were in 
need of assistance; to make provision for the sup- 
port, care and education of soldiers' orphans and the 
maintenance of the widows of deceased soldiers; to 
protect and assist disabled soldiers, whether disabled 
by wounds, sickness, age or misfortune; for the 
establishment and defense of the late soldiers of the 
United States, morally, socially and politically; with 
a view to inculcate a proper appreciation of their 
services to the country, and to a recognition of such 
services and claims by the American people." 

In 1868 the word "sailors" was added, and a new 
section looking toward the preservation of loyalty to 
the constitution of the United States, and obedience 
to the laws of the land. For years this organization 
had a struggle, and accomplished very little that was 
of permanent value. But during the last decade it 
has accomplished much by way of securing ' 'help 
for the unfortunate," "homes for the helpless," 
"asylums for the orphans," "pensions for the needy" 
and is to-day at its best, numerically, financially and 
socially. 

The men who have not given their attention to it 
are largely numbered among those who, having 
formed other relations and assumed other responsi- 
bilities, arc likely to end their days without renew- 



176 REMINISCENCES. 

ing the old time association. It is too late to enter, 
tain hope of recruiting them or mustering them into 
attendance. Another class were independent at first. 
They looked on the G. A. R. as a benevolent so- 
ciety and would have nothing to do with it; but age, 
infirmity and misfortune are driving them back to 
old friendships. But, alas ! they bring nothing but 
want with them. So 1 venture to say that the G. 
A. R. is at its best, and from this hour must wane 
from year to year, until the last form that stood 
between death and our nation's honor is housed in 
the narrow tomb. More and more this tie is appre- 
ciated ])y the survivors. 

Oh, that Ave might all learn to sing, 

Blest be the tie that binds 

Our hearts in Christian love; 
The fellowship of kindred minds 

Is like to that above. 

From sorrow, toil and, pain, 

And sin we may be free; 
And perfect love and friendship reign 

Through all eternity. 



ORGANIZATIONS, 



We share our mutual woes, 
Our mutual burdens bear, 

And often for each other flows 
The sympathizing tear. 

— Hymn. 



(CLXXVIIT.) 



CHAPTER XX. 

ORGANIZATIONS — CONTINUED. 

The first organization of ladies for active co-opera 
tion witli the Grand Army of the Repubhc was 
founded in the city of Portland, Maine, in 1869, and 
was known as Bosworth Relief Corps, It started 
forth full of hope, and after twenty-three j^ears of 
good work is now among the strongest corps in the 
land. Ten years later the first state organization 
was perfected in Fitchburg, Mass. This body of 
ladies found the same opposition shown others, and 
for years knocked at the doors of the national en 
campment for recognition. In 1881 the chaplain- 
in-chief presented a resolution to the national 
encampment which was adopted, and the ladies were 
allowed to add to their title, "Auxiliary to the 
Grand Army of the Republic." 

Many of the angelic spirits who visited and min- 
istered unto our sick soldiers in field and hospital 
had withheld their support; they now joined the or- 
ganization and brought to it strength and counsel 
such as made it a power in all parts of the land. In 
1883 the Commander-in-Chief of the G. A. R. invited 
all the organizations at work in the interest of sol- 
(179) 



180 REMINISCENCES. 

diers to send their reports to the national encamp- 
ment. This met with general favor and a national 
organization was perfected with this statement of 
their objects: 

"To specially aid and assist the Grand Army of 
the Republic to perpetuate the memory of their 
heroic deeds; to assist such Union veterans as need 
our help and protection, and to extend needful aid 
to their widows and orphans; to find them homes 
and employment, to assure them of sympathy and 
friendship; to cherish and emulate the deeds of all 
loyal nurses and all women who rendered loving ser- 
vice to their country in its hour of peril; to inculcate 
lessons of patriotism and love of country among our 
children; to discountenance whatever tends to weaken 
loyalty or retard the spread of universal liberty and 
equal rights to all men." 

This object is truly a noble one and ought to com- 
mand the encouragement and support of all true 
Americans. Their expenditures now reach up into 
the hundreds of thousands, and are still growing in 
favor and usefulness throughout the states. The 
ladies of the G. A. R. have also a very strong organ- 
ization and have done and are doing a good work. 

THE UNION veteran's LEAGUE. 

This league, composed of men who are members 
of the G. A. R., is very strong in some of the large 
cities. This is not so democratic as the other organ- 
izations. Membership is restricted to those who 



A NOBLE OBJECT. 181 

were commissioned in the army and navy. Its 
objects are chiefly social and fraternal. 

THE UNION veteran's UNION. 

This is a smaller society, and declares its object to 
be general helpfulness to all soldiers and sailors of 
the Union army. 

THE veteran's RIGHTS UNION. 

A league organized in New York in 1882, has for 
its object the helping of Union soldiers into positions 
under the government for which they fought. There 
are other minor organizations that undertake the 
same work. 

THE SONS OF VETERANS. 

This society of the sons of the soldiers has a 
unique service, and their organization is destined to 
have a very large and permanent growth. More 
and more the veterans are to command the respect 
of the citizens of America. And in age and feeble- 
ness the sons will have occasion to minister unto, 
bury and care for the graves of their fathers. 



These several organizations have gathered into 
their posts, camps and departments many of the 
strongest men in the nation. William T. Sherman, 
Phil. Sheridan, Howard, Thomas, Schotield, John 
A. Logan, and a long list of prominent men have 
served in different ofiices, while ex- Presidents U. S. 
Grant, R. B. Hayes, James A. Garfield and Presi- 
dent Benj. Harrison have honored theG. A. R. with 
their presence and counsel. 



182 REMINISCENCES. 

May the Sons of Veterans find hearty support and 
faithfully serve in their work of love until the last 
child who ever saw a Union soldier is gathered with 
his fathers. 

The rituals used in these different organizations 
call attention to the great goodness of God, under 
whose fostering care they perform their deeds of 
patriotism and benevc^lence. The halls ring with 
the songs found in the church hymnals and prayer 
books, and religious service is sought and listened to 
with the reverence of true men. 

"How should all men live?" 

"With trust in God, and in love with one an- 
other." 

"How should comrades of the Grand Army live?" 

"Having on the whole armor of God, that they 
may be able to withstand in the evil day." 

"For the last enemy that is to be destroyed is 
death." 

"We thank God who giveth us the victory through 
our Lord Jesus Christ." 

Friend, — 

"Ne'er think the victory won 
Nor lay thine armor down; 
The work of faith will not be done 
Till thou obtain the crown. 

Fight on, my soul, till death 

Shall bring thee to thy God; 
He'll take thee at thy parting breath 

To his divine abode." 



GENERALS. 




GENERAL SHERMAN. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

SOME OF THE GENERALS WHEN WITH THE BOYS. 

George B. McClellan was one of the handsomest 
men in all the army. He sat in the saddle with a 
grace and case coveted by all, always rode a full- 
blooded animal, wore a neatly-fitting, dark blue 
uniform, with highly polished boots that came nearly 
to his hips. He was among the first to appear m the 
morning, and when on a march he would dash 
through the Virginia mud until literally covered with 
the stickiest stuff' in existence; but when the next 
morning dawned he appeared in a clean suit just out 
of the pressing room of his tailor. No Union gen- 
eral was more popular among his men. Bonaparte 
was no more beloved by the French troops than was 
McClellan by the Potomac army. Notwithstanding 
the criticism of later days, the boys still cherish his 
memory. He has been culled a coward, a traitor, 
but those who knew him best know that he was 
neither. His failure can be accounted for without 
any such unkind criticism. 

, First, the great men in Washington did not give 
him the support he called for; they were afraid of 
him, and he knew it. That often paralyzed his 
movements. 

(185) 



186 REMINISCENCES. 

Secondly, it took two years for the nation to see 
what they were fighting for, and not until the eman- 
cipation proclamation was issued did any general 
have noteworthy victories. 

Thirdly, we must admit that McClellan lacked that 
confidence in his own plans essential to success. Still 
we think of him most kindly. 

Wm. T. Sherman was a l)lunt, rough-and-ready 
boy in authority. While on a march or in camp 
with his men he was one of the boys. He rode a 
good horse, and took excellent care of him whde in 
camp, but was the most careless rider among the 
leadmg generals of the Union army. His eyes were 
on all things save those under his horse's feet. He 
held the reins with a careless grasp, trusting every- 
thing to his steed. When at the head of the army 
giving orders for their distribution he was a magnifi- 
cent figure, and commanded the attention and 
confidence of his officers and men. No man ever 
had the entire confidence of an army at all times 
more perfectly than did Wm. T. Sherman during 
his southern campaign and his march to the sea, and 
we shall look in vain for a series of battles in which 
more of genius, skill and valor were displayed than 
by Gen. Joe Johnson in his retreat, and Sherman in 
his advance and attacks. The civil life of W. T. 
Sherman added constantly to his popularity until the 
hour of his death, for he knew enough to keep out 
of politics, and to identify himself with the soldier 
boys in both the political parties. He will always be 



GEN. SHERIDAN. 187 

referred to as "Uncle Billy.'' He was equal to the 
best intellectually and socially. 

Gen. Sheridan did not appear to advantage on 
foot. In the saddle he was a centaur. When astride 
of his horse the Shenandoah Valley hero gained in 
inches, for he was now no longer in stature above his 
sword belt than below it. Sheridan always sat well 
back, unconsciously leaning against the rear pommel 
of his military saddle. This attitude brought his 
feet a little in advance of the correct line, but it did 
not detract much from his appearance as a horseman. 
The fierce bundle of nerves that were encased in his 
small body would not permit Gen. Sheridan to long 
sit still, and he was always on a gallop, even when 
his army was lying idle and the pickets were silent. 

Maj. Gen. Custer was the beau ideal of a perfect 
horseman. He sat in his saddle as if born in it, for 
his seat was so very easy and graceful that he and his 
steed seemed one. At West Point he was at the head 
of all the classes in horsemanship, and delighted in 
being: on the tanbark. It is related of him that he 
could cut down more wooden heads on the gallop 
than any other one of the cadets. Unlike most ardent 
raiders during the war, Gen. Custer seldom punished 
his horses. It was only when the moment for charging 
arrived that he lessened rein for a headlong dash. 

Maj. Gen. Logan made a conspicuous figure in the 
saddle. His coal-black hair and tremendous mus- 
tache gave him a ferocious appearance, though in 
reality his disposition was a genial one. But he 



188 REMINISCENCES. 

often had fits of passion and then his eyes blazed; 
but these ebullitions of temper were evanescent and 
they usually occurred on the battle-field. Logan 
was an exceedingly good horseman, his seat being 
firm, 3'et easy. When galloping he used to lean 
backward, his feet well to the front. At critical 
moments in an engagement he was wont to go at 
tremendous speed toward the threatened part of the 
line of battle. His hat jammed down over his eyes, 
his eyes bright and his mustache waving in the air 
gave him an odd look, while the terrific pace of his 
steed was appalling. He overcame every obstacle 
with ease, and it was a beautiful sight to see his 
horse go flying over fences, ditches or fallen trees, 
while the rider sat in the saddle with ease and ap- 
parently reckless indifference. 



The bridal garland falls upon the bier, 

The shadow of a crown that o'er him hung 

Has vanished in the shadow cast by death. 

So princely, tender, truthful, reverent, pure. 

Mourn ! That a worldwide empire mourns with you, 

That all the thrones are clouded by your loss. 

Were slender solace. Yet be comforted; 

For if this earth be ruled by perfect love. 

Then, after his brief range of blameless days, 

The toll of funeral in an angel ear 

Sounds happier than the merriest marriage bell. 

The face of Death is toward the Sun of Life, 

His shadow darkens earth; his truer name 

Is "Onward," no discordance in the roll. 

And march of that eternal harmony 

Whereto the world beats time, though faintly heard — 

Until the great hereafter mourn in hope. — Tennyson 



PEN PICTURES, 




GENERAL HANCOCK. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

PEN PICTURES. 

U. S. Grunt, the General, was at home in the sad- 
dle. From boyhood he had been a great admirer of 
good horses, and in the service he had a number of 
the best animals to be found. He was always kind 
in his treatment of them unless he felt that the occa- 
sion demanded sacrifice, then he looked upon the 
cause as first in importance and man and beast were 
secondary. Victory at all cost, was his motto. He 
sat in the saddle carelessly, sometimes awkwardly, 
yet firmly. He never seemed to care anything about 
his uniform or the insignia of his rank. When on 
the march he wore a flat, broad-brimmed hat, pulled 
down over his eyes, a rusty, seedy old coat he had 
worn since the fight of Vicksburg, gallopping along 
with an unlighted cigar firmly fixed in his teeth. It 
is said that in pursuing Lee after the evacuation of 
Richmond, he wore out six of his best horses m three 
days. He knew nothing among men but the con- 
quering of a persistent foe. Rev. D. Inglehart in a 
recent sermon said: 

"It requires only a casual glance to see that the 
department of his mind which was most largely de- 
(191) 



192 REMINISCENCES. 

veloped and actively engaged was his will. His force 
of will was simply sublime. Mr. Lmcoln said of 
him, 'The great thing about him is cool persistence 
of purpose. He is not easily excited, and he has the 
grip of a bulldog. When he once gets his teeth ni, 
nothing can shake him off.' Gordon said to Lee, 
'I think there is no doubt but that Grant is retreat- 
ing.' 'You are mistaken,' replied the Confederate 
chief; 'Grant is not retreating; he is not a retreat- 
ing man.' The great conqueror willed the capture 
of Donelson ; he willed the fall of Vicksburg, one of 
the greatest captures of modern times, and at the 
last he willed a million men across the field, and with 
them crushed the Confederacy. Napoleon m his 
palmiest days never had a greater sweep of wdl. 
For months he held death at arm's lens^th from him. 
He caught him and threw him to the earth, and put 
his feet upon him, and held him until he could finish 
his book, his labor of love. 

' 'But the last enemy grew too strong for him, and he 
gave way and surrendered to the Supreme Will, avIio 
called him from the battlefields of earth to the plains of 
immortality. His sensibilities were large and intense. 
His love of country was a consuming aflfection. He 
inherited a patriotic spirit. His great-grandfather, 
Noah Grant, of Connecticut, was killed in the French 
war, and his grandfather Grant was a Lieutenant in 
the Revolutionaiy war. It is not surprising that this 
man should give himself at the first call to his coun- 
try. When Sherman had finished his march to the 



grant's magnanimity. 193 

sea there was a proposition to elevate him to the 
same rank with Grant. Sherman wrote to Grant: 
'I have written John Sherman to stop it. I would 
rather have you in command than any one else.' 
Grant replied: 'No one would be more pleased at 
yonr advancement than I, and if you should be 
placed in my position and 1 put in subordinate it 
would not change our relations in the least. I would 
n ake the same exertion to support you that you 
have done to support me, and would do all in my 
power to make your cause wan.' Great men, both of 
them, loving then' country supremely." 

He lived long enough to convince the South, whom 
he conquered, that he had no animosity in his heart, 
and no better tribute has ever been recorded of him 
than that of Hon. John S. Wise, of Virginia, when 
he said: 

"The victorious German, after twenty years of 
peace, may plead in vain for forgetfulness of Sedan, 
while the conquered Frenchman still hisses the word 
'Revanche' beneath his breath. Twenty years of 
peace with us left no such bitterness behind. Pa- 
tience was Grant's greatest attribute. Four years of 
patient fighting scfiiced to conquer the arms of his 
adversary at Appomattox. Twenty years of patient 
charity, without any word of bitterness, brought 
also the surrender of their hearts at Mount Mc- 
Gregor. 

"Then it was the old Confederate veteran on his 
crutch stepped up to Grant's tomb. Then it was 



194 REMINISCENCES. 

that he, for the last time, saluting the old flag that 
was dabbled with his blood, surrendered his heart to 
Grant without one feclinc" of re2:ret or sio;n of men- 
tal reservation. He was old and poor, travel-stained 
and battle worn. Yet all rrien uncovered in his 
presence, for Grant himself had certified that he was 
brave, long-suffering and honest in his faith. 

"His style was a rusty, broken bayonet, which in 
its day had served mayhap to dig the breastworks in 
the Wilderness and Spottsylvania. With trembling 
hands he traced in cramped characters the Imes, and 
the world drew near, in curiosity, to see what he had 
written: 

"'Here lies Grant, the only conqueror of Lee, 
and the greatest of Federal commanders. 

"'Grant, who never ceased to fight or spoke of 
peace on any terms save unconditional surrender. 

" 'Grant, who, when surrender came at last, left 
his own sword behind, and refused the sword of Lee. 

" 'Grant, whose first order at Appomattox was to 
feed his oft-tried foes from the short rations of his 
own troops. 

" 'Grant, whose tender heart gave us our old war 
horses to plant the first crops of peace. 

" 'Grant, who refused a triumphal review in our 
conquered capital. 

" 'Grant, who paroled us, and who, when we were 
indicted as traitors, demanded the dismissal of the 
prosecution or the acceptance of his resignation. 



HON. JOHN A. wise's TRIBUTE, 19o 

" 'Grant, who first cried: "The war is over," and 
ever afterward proclaimed it. 

" 'Grant, whose first words as President, were: 
"Let us have peace." 

" 'Grant, who for two terms sought to win us back 
to our allegiance by love and kindness. 

"'Grant, who, as firm as the firmest for the tri- 
umph of the Union, scorned bitterness and recrim- 
ination for the past. 

" 'Grant, from whose lips never issued a con- 
temptuous utterance against his old antagonists. 

" 'Grant, whose patient suflering in disease, whose 
fortitude in the hour of death conquered the last 
trace of our animosity, and gathered to him friend 
and foe alike, as even nobler than the world has 
known him. 

" 'Grant, who even in the hour of death, beckoned 
his old adversaries to his dying bedside that he might 
bless them. 

" 'Grant, whose name shall stand for all time, to 
all Americans, as a model of simplicity, bravery and 
magnanimity. 

" 'Grant, whose example shall prove;]an inspira- 
tion forever of love, fraternity and union.' 

"This is the tribute which Lee would have written, 
placed here by the hands of soldiers who followed 
Lee and fought Grant until they yielded to the 
power of overwhelming numbers and resources. 

"This is the tribute of those who felt the power of 
Grant's mailed hand in war, and survived to know 



196 REMINISCENCES. 

the womanlike gentleness of his loving touch in 
peace. " 

AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE, 

who succeeded General McClellan, was a modest, 
unassuming man pressed into the command of the 
army contrary to his judgment, and said after the 
defeat at Fredericksburg: "I am responsible for this 
failure." He was a great success with a corps, but 
a failure when given an army. We remember him 
as a dignified, gentlemanly' officer, 

JOSEPH HOOKER 

was a dashing, brave and brilliant commanding offi- 
cer, with a limit to his ability for handling men. He 
seemed at home with his corps, and always ready to 
move; but when given the Army of the Potomac he 
was bewildered at once, and at Chancellorsville 
made such mistakes as caused many to think of him 
as under the influence of liquor, which was not true 
— although it was so stated by temperance advocates 
of all parties at home and abroad. Let not this 
brave man's name be tarnished by any such slander. 

WINFIELD S. HANCOCK, 

always clean cut, neatly clad, soldierly in bearing, 
and commanding in person. His troops always 
ready to fight. His corps believed that W. S. Han- 
cock could whip any man in the field with a fan- 
chance. They knew nothing else but to conquer or 
die. He was a typical commander of men. 



AFFECTING INCIDENT. 197 



OLIVER O. HOWAKD 



was the first General we ever saw, and the impres- 
sion made by him in a speech before the State House 
in Augusta, Maine, had much to do with our course 
in the army. He could pray or tight, as the case de- 
manded. Rev. T. Gerrish tells of an incident just 
before Chancellorsville, when two boys, brothers, 
were bunking together: 

"Jimmie was very sick, and his brother sat by his 
side for a few moments taking down his farewell for 
home and friends, when Jimmie seemed very rest- 
less. 

" 'AVhat is it, Jim?' said his brother. 

" 'I wonder if I am all right for the general's in- 
spection over there? I wish I had some one to pray 
for and with me.' 

"At this time I hastened to the headquarters, and 
inquired for General Hosvard. 

"I told him my errand. He caught his hat and 
followed me through the dark and mud for more 
than half a mile. Poor Jim was very low, yet he 
knew his brother and the General, who fell on his 
knees, and oh! how lie prayed. Jim died. The 
General attended and officiated as Chaplain at his 
funeral." 

Time and space forbid our speaking of Thomas, 
Meade, and others, whom we came to know, love 
and respect. 



How sleep the brave, who sink to rest 
By all their country's wishes blest ! 
When Spring, with dewy fingers cold 
Returns to deck their hallowed mould 
She there shall dress a sweeter sod 
Than fancy's feet have ever trod. 
By fairy hands their knell is rung, 
By forms unseen their dirge is sung. 
There Honor comes, a pilgrim gray, 
To bless the turf that wraps their clay. 
And freedom shall a while repair 
To dwell a weeping hermit there ! 

— Colli ns. 



(cxcviii.) 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

MEMORIAL DAY. 

One of the beautiful customs that has grown out 
of the war is that of decorating the graves of the 
dead soldiers with flowers — nature's most appropriate 
oflering to valor — and with the stars and stripes — 
the flag for whose honor, and beneath whose folds, 
they laid down their lives. 

It is a national holiday, and in its pious observ- 
ance, multitudes of citizens, among whom are the best 
and the fairest, repair to the cemeteries where sleeps 
the dust of the nation's heroes. Surviving comrades 
fail not each recurring year to add this new tribute 
to the memory of their former companions in arms. 

Only the number of these is constantly decreas- 
ing, as one by one, weary with the march of life, 
they halt and join the host that, after the din and 
strife of battle, are now so quietly reposing 

" In the low, green tenti 
Whose curtain never outward swings." 

It is a fitting tribute to departed valor, and an ap- 
propriate recognition of the service done for the 
nation, that the graves of the soldiers should be thus 
distinguished, and that in eloquent speech their deeds 
(199) 



200 REMINISCENCES. 

of heroism and self-sacrifice should be recounted. 
In harmony with this purpose I take pleasure in 
presenting to my readers the following: 

MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS DELIVERED BY 
COL. JAMES A. SEXTON. 

Once a year we join in the beautiful and solemn 
ceremony of decorating the earthly homes of our 
dead. We strew the choicest flowers and evergreens 
upon the grave of the Union soldier, not simply be- 
cause he was brave and met fate unflinchingly, but 
because of his devotion to an ennobling principle, 
and the exalted ideas of right and justice; for he 
fought to maintain our national existence, threatened 
by the most wanton and monstrous rebellion in the 
history of the world. 

We love and revere the memory of "our dead," 
because they fought in the cause of their country 
and in behalf of a higher liberty than any people, 
ancient or modern, ever before enjoyed. 

England erects towering monuments to her Marl- 
boroughs, her Wellingtons and her Nelsons; France 
builds triumphal arches to celebrate her victories, 
and to perpetuate the fame of her Napoleons. But 
America alone divides her post-mortem honors im- 
partially among those who gave their lives for the 
Republic. 

I rejoice to see the stalwart private soldier hon- 
ored as he is, and his virtues extolled, by the statues 



HONORS TO THE BRAVE. 201 

erected in so many of our public squares and cem- 
eteries. It is a noble tribute to this ideal orovern- 

o 

ment "of the people, for the people, by the people," 
that prompts the decoration of the graves of the 
common soldiers and the erection of statues and 
monuments to them, as well as to the Grants, 
Logans, Shcridans and Farraguts, "vvho won the 
higher rank and bore the increased responsibilities. 

To love our country, to sing her praises, to defend 
her rights and institutions against enemies from 
within, or foes from without, and to endeavor to per- 
petuate the blessings vouchsafed to us by the organic 
law of the land, would seem to be but a natural im- 
pulse, a sincere desire, as easy to explain as the law 
of self-preservation. For none more than you, 
fellow soldiers, can keenly appreciate the fact that 
the blessings of peace are largely dopendent on our 
readiness for war; that the safety of the law-abiding 
citizen is the natural sequence of our ability to 
promptly repress the wanton and lawless. For 
nothing tends more directly to keep the passions of 
the turbulent and reckless in proper subjection than 
the conviction that the government has the power to 
suppress crime, and will use it intelligently, fear- 
lessly and energetically to that end. 

It is one of the great aims of the Grand Army of 
the Republic, as it is its cherished privilege, to in- 
struct the rising generation in the patriotic lessons 
of war, so that posterity may not forget what they 
owe to the deeds of valor and devotion that pre- 



202 REMINISCENCES. 

served the Union from dismemberment and inevita- 
ble dissolution. Were it otherwise, our beloved 
coimtry and its cherished institutions would soon fall 
victims to the insidious treason of the conspirator, 
the vile stratagem of the political mercenary, and 
the corrupting influences of the spoils-hunter. 

Thus, while old soldiers live and meet around 
theu' campfires, the kindling and keeping alive of 
pure patriotism will be of comparatively easy ac- 
complishment, for there are now, and will be for 
many y(>ars to come, too many battle-scarred soldiers, 
too many maimed ones, too many with shattered con- 
stitutions and enfeebled health, who can still tell the 
thrilling story of the part they took in the w.-ir, to 
permit this generation to forget the price })aid for 
our restored Union. 

But how will it be when once this nol)le band is 
called home to the long rest, the last tattoo and taps 
sounded, when our youth will bo deprived of the 
impressive object lesson which the lives of patriots 
and defenders of the right so abundantly furnish? 
Is it not therefore eminently fitting that the recol- 
lections of those memorable days be kept alive in 
the popular mind and conscience by some appropri- 
ate, unfailing means, such as the devotion of one day 
annually to the decoration of the graves of our 
heroic dead ? 

Do not look upon this assertion as unnecessary and 
uncalled for; man's mind is apt to fail, his memory 



APPROPRIATE ^xEMORIALS. 203 

is prone to give out under certain contingencies, and 
a gentle remnidcr is not always amiss. 

This fact was clearly illustrated in the early days 
of 1861-G2, when the patriotic people were encour- 
aging the young and strong to enlist in the army of 
the Union You remember how we Averc over- 
whelmed with flattering promises. The father was 
told that should misfortune or death overtake him, 
his wife and children would not sufi'er, but bo kindly 
cared for. The son of the widowed mother was 
promised that she would be looked after during his 
absence. The rich man approached the poor and 
said: "Go, save the Union, and on your return you 
shall meet a hero's welcome and ample reward." 

We were told that we would be honored with civil 
offices, and promised that losses sustained while 
away from home fighting for flag and country, would 
be made good, and lastly, the dear young women, 
no less patriotic than their devoted lovers, said: "Go 
forth in defense of Union and liberty, and we will be 
faithful and constant in our love, and when you return 
will transform you into happy and worthy husbands. " 

And comrades, do you remember when their dear 
arms were aroun<l us, how hard it was to go? But 
with faith in their promises we obeyed duty's 
call. And finally, after years of patient toil, hard- 
ship, danger and privations, after the miseries of the 
dog-tent, the battle field, and the hospital had been 
successfully overcome, the end approached, we had 
accomplished all — yea, more than had been expected 



204 REMINISCENCES. 

of US. We had fought the good fight, we had kept 
the faith and saved the nation; had conquered a 
formidable foe worthy of our steel; had re-estab- 
lished law and order; had broken the fetters that 
held four million slaves in subjection and captivity, 
and preserved the old flag untarnished without a star 
missing, and as we marched in final review along 
Penns3dvania avenue, reading the inscription on the 
banners stretched across the street: ' 'The nation will 
never forget her defenders," w^e felt that we were 
indeed entering the '^Promised Land." But, hasten- 
ing home, about the only persons we found willing 
and disposed to keep their promises, were the dear 
girls Ave had left behind us — God bless them. 

And do you remember how we did look — ragged, 
awkward and dirty, with bronzed faces and scarred 
bodies; but our eyes were bright, our hearts 
light and gay, our will strong, our determination 
fixed. Some of us thought our army experience 
had fitted us to command, but alas! how soon we 
discovered that our duty was simply to obey. 

The veteran defender of his country, in the hour 
of danger, has ever been an object of high admira- 
tion among civilized nations. Before the reign of 
Louis XIV, the scarred veterans of France, maimed 
in service, were chiefly dependent upon the charity 
of individuals. But Louis, who was in many re- 
spects a great ruler, established the famous Hotel 
des Invalides at Paris, to bo the home of those who 
lost limbs or members on the gory field of battle. 



HOME OF VETERANS. 205 

England ectablished an institution of equal merit at 
Chelsea, and other European nations followed the 
example of these two. No nobler monuments could 
have been erected to the glory of America than the 
grand Soldiers' and Sailors' Homes, which now stud 
our country, where the glorious wrecks of our great 
battles can be found, in comfort, peace and honor, 
in the winter of their age. No old soldier need 
blush to live in such an institution. It is his right 
to be there. He defended the nation in the hour 
of imminent danger, and the nation, gratefully re- 
membering his services and his sacrifices, shelters 
him in the hour of need. You can hold your heads 
high, old veterans, high as when you braved the 
blast of battle, for, should you find it necessary to 
enter one of these homes, you will sit under your 
own "vine and fig-tree." 

When the Shah of Persia visited Paris, during the 
days of the third empire, almost the first institution 
he inquired for was the Hotel des Invalides. He 
was taken there, and the troops were reviewed in his 
honor. He looked with interest upon all, but finally 
inquired of the governor of the home if any of the 
great Napoleon's soldiers stood in the ranks. An 
old man stepped forward, and the governor said: 

"He, sire, fought at Waterloo." 

"Ha," said the Shah, "very good, but I want to 
see a man who fought with Napoleon when his vic- 
tories shook all Europe. Show me a veteran of Ma- 
rengo, show me a veteran of Austerlitz." 



206 REMINISCENCES. 

The governor excused himself, but soon reap- 
peared, and leaning upon his arm Avas a man bowed 
down with years, and "svarpcd with wounds, his 
snowy white hair reaching to his shoulders, and his 
beard touching his breast. As they approached the 
Shah, the governor said: 

"Sire, this man fought at Austerlitz in the corps 
of Marshal Soult. He stood guard at the tent of 
the Emperor the night before the battle." 

The Shah gazed Avith mingled admiration and curi- 
osity at the old hero, whose martial salute he returned 
by gracefully raising his fez from his head. His eyes 
flashed fire, and his frame seemed to dilate, as, de 
taching the star of the Royal Order of Persia from 
his left breast he pinned the splendid decoration, in. 
crusted with gold and glittering with diamonds, on 
the coat that covered the scarred bosom of the hero 
of Austerlitz. 

And so in years not now remote, when the illustri- 
ous of other lands shall visit our shores, they will in- 
quire for our surviving heroes at their homes or else- 
where — will ask to be shown a man who conquered 
with Grant at Vicksburg, or with Logan at Atlanta; 
who marched with Sherman to the seji; fought with 
Hancock, the superb, at Gettysburg and Spottsyl- 
vania, or who rode with gallant Phil. Sheridan at 
Cedar Creek, Five Forks or Appomattox. 

And while we contemplate with deep satisfaction 
and just pride the achievements and merits of our 
departed heroes, let us also not forget that the living 



UNION HEROES. 207 

have claims on us for an honorable and lasting recog- 
nition, and that it will be well frequently to recall 
the many heroic incidents in our late war, not so 
much to gratify the feeling of a just ambition and a 
pardonable self-love, as more especially to excite to 
emulation and manly aspirations the generations fol- 
lowing us, who, under the blessings of continued 
peace, and an unprecedented prosperity, are bat too 
apt to treat with indifference and coldness those who 
have been the real promoters of that vaunted pros- 
perity and of the general advancement. 

In a hospital at Nashville a wounded soldier was 
lying on the amputation table under the influence of 
chloroform. The surgeon cut ofl:'his right arm, and 
cast it all bleeding on the pile of human limbs. He 
was then laid gently on his couch. He awoke from 
his stupor and missed his arm. With his left hand 
he raised the cloth, and there was nothing but the 
gory stump. 

"Where is my arm?" he cried. "Get me my arm, 
my strong right arm; I want to see it once more." 

They brought it to him. He took hold of the cold, 
clammy lingers, and looking steadfastly at the poor, 
dead member, thus addressed it, with tearful earn- 
estness: 

"Good bye, old arm; we have been a long time 
together. We must part now. You will never fire 
another carbine or swing another saber in defense of 
the government." 

And to those standing near, he cried: 



208 REMINISCEKCES. 

"Understand I do not regret its loss. It has been 
torn from my body that not one State shall be torn 
from this glorious Union. " 

Then take the heroism of that brave seaman, 
Jasper Breus, who, when scalded to the very bones 
while at his post of duty on the gun-boat Essex, at 
the storming of Fort Henry, hearing the cry that 
the fort had surrendered, sprang to his feet exclaim- 
ing: "What, surrendered! I must see that with 
my own eyes before I die," and climbing two short 
flights of winding stairs to the open deck, just as 
the American flag was being hoisted to the top of 
the rebel flag stafl", he shouted: "Glory to God," 
and died. 

The history of the world is the history of its wars. 
Nearly all of the great men of the past achieved 
their fame on the field. It would seem to the reader 
of ancient history that for several thousand years 
people merely ate, drank and slept, except when en- 
gaged in warfare. 

Most wars have been for conquest and plunder, 
but many, and the crudest, were waged under the 
banner of religion. Our revolution and our civil 
war stand almost alone as having been fought to 
establish great vital principles, based on human 
rights. The one, "no taxation without representa- 
tion," the other, "the wrong of one human being 
buying, selling and holding in servitude another 
human being." Our African slavery became a 
serious evil by growth. When the barbarous Ethi- 



AFRICAN SLAVERY. 209 

opian was first sold to the pioneers of America he 
had httle intellect, scarcely a language. He -was 
considered on a level with the horse and mule. His 
living among white people was thought to be a civ- 
ilizing process, and it was claimed that his condition 
was much better in slavery in America, than free in 
the jungles of Africa. So every slaveholder flat- 
tered himself that he was doing a great missionary 
work in the interest of the African negro. 

But, as time rolled on, the barbarian became Anglo- 
Saxonized, his negro features were fast passing away, 
more and more white blood coursed through his 
veins, and the slave, as white as his master, came to 
be no uncommon sight. Then the world began to 
open its eyes to the inhuman and immoral elements 
in slavery. Lust, greed and cupidity held high 
carnival. Humanitarian views and the voice of jus- 
tice and morality were soon subdued by the clamor 
and sophistries of mercenary and vile advocates and 
apologists for the "peculiar domestic institution," 
which, financially, represented an immense sum, 
and politically, great power and influence. 

The southern climate being in reality the only one 
suitable to the negro, slavery died a natural death in 
the Northern States; but as the years passed on, 
slavery became more and more a disturbing element. 
A brutalized mob was ever ready to crush all at- 
tempts of those sentimentalists who held that slav- 
ery was "the sum of all villanies," and with the 
tide of emigration setting in at the North, develop- 



210 REMINISCENCES, 

ing territory after territory, by free labor, the South 
increased her clamor and demands for more territory 
and elbow room for the expansion of slavery, osten- 
sibly to maintain the alleged disturbed political 
equilibrium. The war of words becoming more 
acrimonious and exciting, the slavery mob more 
audacious ond insulting, the threatening conflict be- 
came plainly irrepressible, and finally broke like a 
thunder-bolt over our heads. 

I wish I possessed that vivid power of description 
so essential to give you a realizing idea of the intense 
excitement that prevailed in the North when Fort 
Sumter was attacked and fell into the hands of the 
rebels of South Carolina, and President Lincoln 
called for seventy-five thousand volunteers to 
put down the rebellion. I but faintly express the 
then cxistmg condition when I say that men and 
women were speechless and sleepless, then became 
greatly agitated and restless; that children, scared 
by the turmoil of the popular upheaval, clung to 
their mothers; many people sobbed aloud; others 
prayed, and still others could only give vent to their 
indignation in blasphemy. The blacksmith's fires 
went out, the mechanic's tools were idle, the mer- 
chant closed his store, the factory wheels stood still, 
and the plow rusted in the furrow. The lawyer con- 
tinued his cases, the doctor neglected his patient and 
the preacher forgot his text. 

Husband, father, son, left their homes in the 
morning to follow the usual occupations only to re- 



THE CALL,. 211 

turn and say in words pregnant with solemn mean- 
ing: "Yon must get along without me for a time, 
for I have enlisted." 

Conceding that love is the strongest of passions, 
when did war cost the human heart so dear as those 
four bleeding years of civil strife ? Many the wife 
who said through her tears: "1 can spare you, my 
devoted husband; your country calls. I know the 
days will be long and the nights dark and dreary, 
but you have a duty to perform. Go and do it. I 
will take care of the little ones; you will come back 
to us again, and if not — we will bravely meet fate, 
and ever revere your memory." 

The mother said: "My two darling boys, you 
have been the idols of my life. God took from us 
your father when you were yet babes; had he lived 
until now, you would have found him ready to go 
and fight in the cause of his country and for the 
supremacy of the law. Your country needs you — 
join the patriots. 1 will go too and nurse the sick 
and care for the wounded. When all is over, some 
one of us may, and I trust will, return. If all 
should be spared, unmistakable happiness will surely 
be our lot." 

The maiden said: "My betrothed, we were to be 
married next winter; let it be tomorrow. Go you 
then and join the gallant boys who are going to the 
war. That martial music sets me on fire; were it 
not for your love I would wish I were a man to 
prove my patriotic ardor. You are naturally brave 



212 REMINISCENCES. 

and devoted to duty, and I shidl love you the better 
when you have won the laurels due to the brave sol- 
dier. My love will be with you by day and by 
night, it will follow you on the march, in the camp 
and into the battle. If you happily return, Ave shall 
enjoy heavenly bliss on earth; if you fall, my heart 
will cling to your memory to the end of time." 

Thus love's sacrifices swelled the great wave of 
patriotism that swept away treason and carried the 
noble ship of State safe into the tranquil harbor of 
peace and prosperity. 

Now let us go back thirty-one years and remem- 
ber how the war absorbed all our thoughts and 
actions, and how every public and private interest 
became tributary to it. There was intense anxiety 
throughout the North as to the possible and probable 
outcome of the pending conflict. The rebels were 
reported as determined and armed with every con- 
ceivable weapon that would kill a Yankee. They 
were, to all intents and purposes, walking arsenals, 
and boasted that one Southerner was good enough 
for half a dozen "Yanks,"" and that right in the first 
battle they would send the Abolitionists flying back 
to the North and end the war. 

And let us remember how seldom men who en- 
listed gave their thoughts to the possible conse- 
quences, and how they seemed oblivious of results; 
whether they were to be a gratifying, pleasant 
romance, or a noble fame, or broken health, a maimed 
body, a rebel prison, or an unmarked soldier's grave. 



A RETROSPECT. 213 

To battle for one's country in a trying emergency 
and 'voluntarily to assume grave and dangerous 
duties, while leaving behind comfortable homes, 
friends and relatives, and all those sweet amenities 
which make life worth living, are merits certainly 
deserving of the highest reward within the gift 
of a nation. An American citizen's voluntary act 
of enlisting signs away almost everything, reserv- 
ing almost nothing. Control over his action 
ceases, and he has it hardly over his own thoughts. 
He practically hands his life over to the keeping of 
his superiors in rank. At tlie call of a bugle he re- 
tires to sleep, at another rises, still another summons 
him to the charge. He has no voice as to when and 
what he shall cat, no choice or volition as to the cut 
or quality of his clothes, or the selection of his 
shoes. Everything is necessarily sacrificed to uni- 
formity, rule and discipline. 

When in those dreary hours, its life hansfinof in 
the trembling balance, the nation, for all the sacri- 
fices demanded of them and the dangers to be met 
by her defenders, could ofi^er only clothing, subsist- 
ence, scant pay, and the poor comfort of the un- 
healthy camp in exchange for the privations and 
perils of the march and the battle-field; when upon 
the bravery and patient sufiering of her intelligent 
volunteers rested the solution of the great problem, 
whether we should have a prosperous country to 
live m in peace, or a dismemberment of the Union 
into little petty governments, constantly quarreling 



214 REMINISCENCES. 

with each other, begetting strife and internecine 
wars, slie would naturally be induced to declare: 

'•You who will bring our country out of this 
trouble shall never want; in your declining years you 
shall be provided for; no one of you shall ever have 
to hold out the cup for coins from passers-by; you 
shall, each and every one, be sure of the encomiums 
and gratitude of a generous public." Why should 
she withhold such a declaration now? 

The first two years of the war brought about as 
many defeats as victories, but this much was gained: 
We had pierced the country of the enemy, had oc- 
cupied many of their cities, seen many of their fields 
abandoned by their husbandmen, had them cut off 
from the rest of the world by an effectual blockade 
of their seaports, had reduced their armies to the 
coarsest food, to scarcity in arms, ammunition, 
clothing and medical stores. Their families became 
destitute, and were bereft of defenders and support- 
ers — for every man they could reach was in the 
army. Yet they showed no signs of yielding; they 
were unconqucral)le. 

In the North the effects of the desolating war be- 
came also plainly visible. There was a vacant chair 
in almost every home. Sick and wounded soldiers 
were visible in every community. The country was 
being drained of men, money and material to carry 
on the war. The draft had to be resorted to, in 
many parts, to fill the depicted ranks, and large 
bounties were offered and paid for substitutes to take 



FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE WAR. 215 

th(; places of those who were unwilling to go or who 
were prevented from answering the call of the 
country. 

Many who pretended to have constitutional and 
c;)nscientious scruples about the coercion and spolia- 
tion of the South, but had none about the invasion 
and devastation of the North, fled to foreign coun- 
tries to evade their solemn duty. During this state 
of affairs a "Peace-at-any-Price" party sprang up in 
the North, bent upon patching up, in some way, a 
compromise between the contending hosts that could 
end only m the humiliation of the Norlh and the 
postponement of the real issue to some future day 
That class of spurious patriots was dubbed ''Copper- 
heads," and the party they trained with, the '^Fire- 
in-the-Rear'' party However, that party, so terribly 
exercised iest we might deliver the enemv a blow 
under the helt (?) with an unconstitutional club, was 
in the rear only when it concerned the defense of 
civilization against the impertinent aggressions of 
the slave power, but were invarialjly in the front 
rank, nay, in the extreme van, when army contracts 
were to be secured which would afford glorious op- 
portunities to furnish stale, adulterated and inferior 
food and shoddy clothing and blankets, good enough 
for the mud-sils who were arrayed against the chiv- 
alrous defenders of a "white man's government." 

In the winter of 1803-63 the western army, com- 
prising many regiments from this State, was sta- 
tioned at Corinth, Miss. We had fought the battles 



216 REMINISCENCES. 

of Belmont, Fort Henry, Donnelson, Shiloh and 
Corinth. Oar regiments were each reduced to about 
200 to 400 men lit for duty. We had had a year 
and a half of camp life with all that that implies: 
Scarcity of food, plenty of discomfort, dirt and 
vermin. Wc had been scorched by the southern 
summer sun, chilled by the wintry blasts, and soaked 
by drenching rains. Wc had seen hundreds, and 
even thousands, scrambling, at the end of a dreary 
and exhausting march, for a log, or some brush, or 
some fence-rails, that they might sleep that night 
above "high- water mark." Wc had seen our com- 
rades melt away until it became apparent that, at 
that rate, soon none would bo left. How our minds 
were prone to wander to the cozy firesides in the 
distant North. Many a soldier cried himself to sleep, 
homesick, worn out, and miserable, only to awaken 
in the morning and renew his resolution: "I camo 
to sec this thing through, and see it through I will." 
How often, when on the dangerous picket-line, or 
exhausted, or foot-sore on the march, or stricken 
down with disease in camp, did the beautiful lines 
steal into our thoughts: "How dear to my heart arc 
the scenes of my childhood." Think for a moment 
of the poor boy (low with fever in the hospital or by 
the roadside, or fatally wounded on the battle-field) 
whose fevered brain carried him back to the far-off 
home of his childhood, and whose last audible whis- 
per was: "Doctor, if my dear old mother knows 
where my body is buried she will some day come 



STAY-AT-HOMES. 217 

and get it. Please mark the spot and let her know, 
and tell her that with departing life, I reassure her 
of my undying love." 

And because you, my comrades, as well as I, 
know that those scenes and incidents arc true to 
life, do you not think that to justify "the eternal 
fitness of things," we poor boys out in the cold 
and heat and danger, and misery (all borne man- 
fully for the sake of the noble cause we had es- 
poused) ought sometimes to have changed places 
with those valiant "Copperheads" who were so 
terribly exercised lest the "Black and Tan," or 
"Lincoln Hirelings," might violate the constitution; 
or with the dainty stay-at-home fellows, anxious lest 
their complexions might get tanned (?) or freckled, 
just to give them the least bit of a taste of real good 
campaigning, with a nice little blizzard, fine southern 
summer shower, a season of scorching sun, a real 
genuine, old-fashioned rebel yell, amidst a shower 
of leaden hail, mixed with grape and canister and 
case-shot thrown in, while we should have enjoyed 
a "high old time" among the "eatables and drinka- 
bles," and would have taken care of the ladies as 
only "boys in blue" understand how, telling them 
martial stories by the score, and whispering "soft 
blarney" into their willing ears, by way of illustrat- 
ing that a valiant "knight is a valiant knight," 
whether placed before a yawning, frowning battery, 
or a bright-eyed "bonnie lassie?" 

But to resume. When we had experienced over 



218 REMINISCENCES. 

two and a half 3'ears of this extremely hazardous 
and uncongenial life, the government asked us to 
re-enlist. Although at home substitutes were paid 
many hundred dollars each, nearly two-thirds of the 
noble army signed for three years more, without 
regard to pecuniary consideration. 

An American soldier draws a sharp line of de- 
markation between patriotism and the blinking 
ducats. While not disdaining the latter, he measures 
the former hy a different standard. During a disa- 
greeable winter, when in close proximity to the 
malarious swamps of the Gulf States, and long after 
the "picnic" element in war had vanished to make 
room for the stern realities of grim-visaged misery 
in eveiy conceivable shape, when a tent was a curi- 
osity, when rations, quartermasters' stores, and pay- 
masters were uncertain, when the boys were sure 
only of a blanket, forty rounds and rebels, and 
when they would soon bo free by expiration of their 
term of service, those heroes of many campaigns 
responded to the call: "Give us a furlough to go 
homo for a few days, and we will return and fight it 
out to the end." And thc}^ did. 

And now it must be acknowledged that all who 
entered the army, it matters not how, why, or when, 
deserve credit; but those who, having served a three 
years' term, and voluntarily re-enlisted for three 
years more, exhibited a spirit of self-sacrifice and 
heroic devotion unoqualed in the history of man- 
kind, thus demonstrating the undisputable truth that 



A BOND OF BROTHERHOOD. 219 

the American volunteer is the first and best in the 
world; a brave soldier a loyal and thrifty citizen — 
a true and reliable man, in the noblest sense of the 
word, in every relation of life ! 

To soldiers of all our armies, to those having bat- 
tled on land or water, remains a common brother- 
hood, cemented and hallowed by devotion to an 
ennobling cause — that of the Union t)f the Nation, 
restored by their united efibrtsand the grand achieve- 
ments resulting therefrom. 

May they ever stand united in the cause for which 
they fought and sutiered in the days of youth and 
early manhood. May this solemn occasion, and 
every following 30th of May, devoted to these im- 
})ressive exercises, confirm them in the patriotic 
resolution, and inspire their children, and their chil- 
dren's children, to be and remain one people, with 
but one aspiration, "to do right as God gives us to 
see the right," and but one aim, that of fostering 
and cherishing civilization and unlimited progress. 



THE END. 



Home^nd:social life, 

By H. W. BOLTON. 

Author of "The Soul's Cry,''' "Otir Fallen Heroes,''' "America's 
Next War," and "Reminiscences of the Late IVar," Etc. 



"This volume should be on every center-table and in every library. 
There is not a stale or drowsy page in it. It is as brisk and breesy, as en- 
livening and entertaining, as the best pages of Scott or Moore. Every mem- 
ber of the family, from the snow-crowned sire to "Baby Tot." will be in- 
terested in it. It is a domestic idyl, an epic of parental and filial affection ; 
the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of the Gospel of Home, If you would 
hallow the sacred precincts of home, if you would endear the hearthslone 
and the family board, if you wouldintensify the bond of love and make home 
a place where angels would delight to dwell, and, if you would so fill the 
house of your habitation with light brighter than thatof the sun, perfume 
rarer than the breath of heliotrope and mignonette, japonica or rhododen- 
dron, and with the incense of love sweeter than the honey of Paradise, so 
that children will regret to leave and always return with joy, follow 
the teaching of Home and Social Life, and you will accomplish the de- 
sire of your heart."— John Merritte Driver, Preacher, Author and Lecturer. 

"A beautiful and profitable gift, which will preserve its value and in- 
terest long after the festival hours of the year have fled. No more useful 
gift could be bestowed to the yoi.ng or old people of the family circle." — 
Zion's Herald, Boston. 

''With its sweet, yet practical thoughts of home and home-like, it is 
one of the few books of the present day that can be read with real profit 
and pleasure by every one."— Bellows Falls, Vt. Times. 

"The Doctor stands at the door of the book to welcome you * * * 
smiling and full of soul, with great heartedness and good nature. * * 

* The home like feeling and flavor pervading every chapter, from the 
"recollections of childhood" to the concluding thoughts, must do good 
wherever the book may go \ — J. W. Hamilton, D. D., Boston, Maes. 

"The living sympathy of the writer is sure to move the heart of many 
a reader, sure fruit will be garnered in coming days."— George Whit- 
aker, D . D. , Somerville, Mass. 

"Dr. Bolton has touched the soul of life in these graphic sketches. 

* * * None, who desire to give life its grandest coloring, can read this 
book without being stirred with the determination to so govern them- 
selves that their own hearts shall he more musicful. their associates more 
joyful, and home more heavenful." — George D. Lindsay, Portland, Maine. 



248 pages, bound in cloth, gilt lettering and edges; 
PRICE, 75 CTS., POST PAID. 

Address all orders to 

hO H. W. BOLTON, 

409 MONROE Street, - " CHICAGO, ILL. 



5 



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